From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Tue Sep  1 19:55:34 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 16:55:34 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] a reply to Elle...
In-Reply-To: <400985d70908311924x3239dfdeyc8ba8e2c4d168851@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <205893.19781.qm@web111207.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

BRD,
No prblm..lng rply neces by qstn. Ans stl germn in svrl wks.
el

--- On Mon, 8/31/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] a reply to Elle...
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Monday, August 31, 2009, 10:24 PM

EL,

2 BSY 2 RPLY N DPH, BSY STDY 777 ACNMS. SCHL IS OK BT NTNS.? APLN S
GRT N MDRN. MNY CMPTRS. HD MNY TCHRS N HS? PRPRD M 4 THS. TNK G-D 4
PLP LK U. MNY THNKS.? MRR LTR.

BRD



On 8/31/09, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Thank you, Ed, and welcome back....
> I have read your reply...I need to read it another time or two to digest it
> all...
> elle
>
> --- On Sun, 8/30/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>
> From: Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net>
> Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] a reply to Elle...
> To: "Swift Water" <SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
> Date: Sunday, August 30, 2009, 6:55 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Elle,
>
> I got home yesterday evening/night.? Arrived in
> Newark and spent night in Philadelphia, then drove 12 hours yesterday.? I
> made it.
>
> Now I will wade thru emails and web posts.? I noted
> your comments.? I do not pretend to be brilliant nor eloquent.? I have
> made a conscious decision to walk what I consider the right road.
>
> While I was in Ukraine, some of my unanswered emails
> were answered and relevant to your comments.
>
> I met a second cousin.? I had obtained his
> email address, tried to email him but never received a reply.? Simply, he
> only speaks and writes Ukrainian.
>
> He took my family history under his corner of my family
> back to the 1850's.? His corner of the family has survived feudalism, wars,
> communism (aka Marxism) and things that are hard to relate to.? He lost an
> aunt to a soviet concentration camp, uncles to wars, etc.
>
> We all know people who are in Osama's corner.
> They say he is a smart man, just give him time.
>
> I say, and have said, it is
> important to know where the leader is
> going.
>
> Marxism has not helped ordinary people, but rather leads
> to subjugation and dictatorship.? The results of Marxism also known as
> socialism, progressivism, liberalism, Rockefeller Republicanism, are to be
> understood just by looking and reading history.? Just take a trip to behind
> the old 'Iron Curtain' and meet with ordinary people, your contemporaries,
> and
> you begin to grasp the situation.
>
> There are many good analysis of what capitalism
> is.? What freedom means.? I recently found this old description as
> illustrating the difference between freedom and where Obama is
> going:
>
>
> Derivation of rights of men
>
>
> Consider the curious fact that never
> has there been such a proliferation, all over the world of ? alleged new
> rights?
> Jobs, food, clothing, recreation (!), homes, medical care, education, etc.,
> do
> not grow in nature. These are man made values goods and services produced by
> men. Who is to provide them?
>
> If some men are entitled by right to
> the products of the work of others, it means, that those, others are
> deprived of
> rights and condemned to slave labor.
>
> Any alleged right of one man, which
> necessitates the violation of the rights of another, is not and cannot be a
> right.
>
> No man can have a right to impose an
> unchosen obligation, an unrewarded duty or an involuntary servitude on
> another
> man. There can be no such thing as 'the right to
> enslave'.
>
> A right does not include the material
> implementation of that right by other men; it includes only the freedom to
> earn
> that implementation by one's own effort.
>
>
> Observe, in this context, the
> intellectual precision of the Founding Fathers: they spoke of the right to
> the,
> pursuit of happiness: not of the right to happiness. It means that a man as
> the
> right to take the actions he deems necessary to achieve his happiness; it
> does
> not mean that others must make him happy.
>
>
> The right to life means that a man
> has the right to support his life by his own work on any economic level, as
> high
> as his ability will carry him; it does not mean that others must provide him
> with the necessities of life.
>
> The right to property means that a
> man has the right to take the economic actions necessary to earn property;
> to
> use it and to dispose of it; it does not mean that others must provide him
> with
> property.
>
> The right of free speech means that a
> man has the right to express his ideas without danger of suppression,
> interference or punitive action by the government.? It does not mean that
> others must
> provide him with a lecture hall, a radio station or a printing press through
> which to express his ideas.
>
> Excerpt from the Virtue of
> Selfishness by Ayn Rand*
>
> In summary, my great, great,
> grandfather walked from eastern Ukraine to western Ukraine.? He got his
> progeny out from under the yoke of feudalism.? For a brief moment around
> 1900 a window to freedom opened and two of his grandsons emigrated to USA.
> But for their courage and understanding of freedom, I doubt that I would
> have
> survived under communism.
>
> Even among his heirs, I am a
> minority.? Only some of us got the gene for wanting freedom.
>
>
> Recall the flak I took on the Rhodes
> list for pointing out that Obama beliefs were true socialism, communistic,
> Marxist.? I was told that there was no relation between Obama and
> Nazism.? I was told that Obama was a brilliant man, much smarter than
> Bush.? We were told that being an eloquent public speaker was
> important.
>
> I have made no secret of my other
> ancestry.? Just before my fathers oldest sister died, she sent me a couple
> of documents in Russian.? It seems that on the other side of my heritage I
> am related to a very famous Communists.? In fact the Russian's still
> celebrate a holiday dedicated to that lady.? She was a pure
> communist.
>
> My paternal grandfather changed his
> name when he emigrated around 1910.? There is no one alive that I can/could
> find that could tell the true story.? But knowing he was an entrepreneur
> and finding out who his relatives were, it is easy to see why he changed his
> name and his country.
>
> Is there anyone who would not also
> say that Lenin was brilliant?? And where did his brilliance lead? Just take
> a trip to eastern Europe and see for yourself.
>
> It is easier to be a sheep than
> believe in freedom.? Most people go the easier road.? However, the
> greatest improvements for humans were accomplished by freedom and not
> slavery.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Ed K
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>
>
>

_______________________________________________
SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Wed Sep  2 17:01:37 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 17:01:37 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Interesting analogy
Message-ID: <46925D5786C74603B288848124B88E51@YOURB88038198E>

Again information circulating the internet.  I was interested in the reference to fascist.  Accurate use of economic terms helps others understand.  Brad should enjoy the closeness of this article to his thoughts.  Did he really write it or is Brad just on the same page: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In case any of you did not notice, there is a Bill in Congress afoot that allows the President to control the internet.  So, the days of our repertoire may be numbered.

One of Bob Oster's CEO friends wrote this. Bob respects him highly. (For those on this list who don't know Bob: he was CFO of Oracle when it went public, also CFO of Syntex, and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Berkeley. Since 1987, he has been an angel investor and private VC. He is on the Board of Overseers at the Hoover Institution.) 

 

My 6 Month Evaluation of the Obama Presidency
In November 2008 I wrote out my evaluation of the Obama candidacy and what it might mean to America.  I filed this away, but sent it to family members and a few close friends and associates just so I'd be accountable for my real time observations.  It's now been 6 months since Obama's inauguration.  (In the business world, this is typically when a first job review would occur; so, I made a note to myself to revisit his performance on the 6-month anniversary.)  Thus, I now commit to filing my mid-year evaluation of our new President.  As well, I've put in the file (but not forwarded to anyone) a separate "background check" - the one the press should've on the Obama candidacy prior to presenting him to the American public - in case this is ever of relevance as things unfold.

As concerned as I was by Obama's candidacy when I wrote out my November pre-election reservations, truth be known, I didn't much like McCain/Palin either.  At the time, I still had hopes that Obama might "govern from the center."  Six months into it, however, I can say that he's been considerably worse than my worst fears.  Thus, I'm updating my evaluation - this time with the fervent hope that by the year-end I can be genuinely more optimistic.  

I've concluded that not only was Barack Obama too inexperienced to be President, but he also appears to be incompetent as an executive, more-than-just-politician-level-dishonest and a bit of a narcissist (if not a fascist).  He seems to have little understanding of American history, her dreams, or her tremendous potential for risk-taking, self-correction and innovation.  He and Michelle have turned out to be quintessential Ivy League "Oppression Studies majors" with (carefully concealed) "attitudes."  Obama seems, above all, to be a Community Organizer with shakedown credentials and extraordinary speaking ability. 

All of this should have been clear -- had we simply done serious background checks.  (The following 4 items, at least, should have been clear to voters:  

1.  His surrogate father figure was Frank Marshall Davis, an avowed Communist.   

2. Barack served as a committed trainer for Community Activist and Marxist Saul Alinsky.   

3.  He sat for nearly 2 decades at the feet of Jeremiah Wright, an angry, anti-American "Black Liberation Theologist".  

4.  His first autobiography, Dreams from My Father, was almost certainly ghost-written by William Ayers, a Vietnam-era domestic terrorist.  [This last assertion has now been supported by careful analysis of syntax, spelling and common errors].)  If these unusual threads (standing alone) are discounted to the point of not being disqualifiers, those evaluating Barack Obama might have considered that he'd never i) held a job in the private sector, ii) managed a payroll, iii) led a turnaround or iv) held any sort of executive position.  

But, none of this mattered in the fall of 2008.  After 6 months, I'm left wondering if power brokers on the Far Left of American politics aren't pinching themselves at their success in creating a fictitious character the press ushered to market in a Bush-weary and "politically correct" America.  In his second (!) autobiography, The Audacity of Hope, Obama recognizes the advantage of his tabula rasa "creation" when he writes, "I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views."  

And, project we did!  Thus, the former Barry Soetoro of Honolulu, Jakarta, Mombasa, Occidental, Columbia, Harvard and the mean streets of Chicago moved at light speed from being the first-term senator nobody had ever heard of to President of the United States.  In the process, despite numerous efforts, no one has yet seen his birth certificate, his college transcripts, his application to Occidental (likely as a "foreign student"?), or the passport he used to travel in 1981 to Pakistan with buddy Wahid Hamid (likely an Indonesian one?).  For some reason, the Obama campaign has, so far, spent $3/4 million keeping these records out of public view.  So, it's easy to wonder -- if they supported Obama's putative CV -- why not make them available and put to rest all suspicions about provenance, training and politics?

My growing hunch is that there's virtually no paper trail because the Obama biography has been created largely out of whole cloth. There -- I've said what increasing numbers of people must be thinking, but are afraid to voice.  But, whether or not Obama is more than a cleverly-marketed fiction, and whatever one thinks of his history, one thing isclear.  He finally does have a record to evaluate.  And, it's not a confidence-inspiring one from my standpoint.

At best, Obama is an attractive symbol for America and a compelling communicator; but he's  

1.   Not an executive. He's shown an  utter inability to focus, to  set priorities and to consider 2nd and 3rd order or long-term consequences to  his actions.  Lack of focus on priorities is fatal as a CEO; (but, maybe  less so for a political leader?)    

2.   Not a steward or fiduciary for America.  Obama clearly does not see his primary job  as one of overseeing the security and well-being of America during his tenure as its chief  executive.  He's not only unwilling to stand up for America, but he also regularly seems  to go out of his way to apologize for her history.  This makes it  apparent that he believes his most important job is to change America into what he and Michelle think  it should have been had we  not suffered the Founders' flawed vision.


At worst, Obama's aims seem truly radical (if stealth); his methods pure Alinsky; and his success derivative of obfuscating the truth, creating crises, and rushing changes into law that no one can possibly absorb under artificial deadlines - all aimed at limiting private property rights, changing the Constitution and forever altering our free market system?

For those who consider Obama's training and background irrelevant, they can now evaluate him as a Commander-in-Chief and CEO from what he's done over his first 6 months.  

Among many other things, these evidences have come in the form of:

1.   A $787B "stimulus"  package (sold as preventing a "crisis from  becoming catastrophe")  

2.   The failure to focus on addressing the banking crisis as "Job  One"  

3.   The migration of TARP  funds to non-banking concerns, viz., auto  industry  

4.   Announcing tax  increases in the middle of a  recession  

5.   Failure to identify projects to fund job  creation (Thus, <10% of stimulus yet  spent)  

6.   Announcing that there would be "no pork" or "earmarks" in the "stimulus" package in order  to get it passed without review when there were nearly 10,000 buried in the  unread bill (including a $9B high-speed rail line to Las Vegas for Harry  Reid)  

7.   Bailouts of the banking and auto  industries  

8.   The appointment of a 31-year-old to manage the recreation of the  auto companies  

9.   The exalting of union claims above those of bondholders (violating a 200+ year history of  contract law/property rights)  

10.   The appointment of 34 unvetted  "czars" -- creating more than in the House  of Romanov between 1762 and 1917!  

11.   The failure to appoint a Cabinet of tax-paying, competent Americans  (reason for the move to the Czar system of administration?)  

12.   The appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court despite an  apparent lack of qualifications and judicial temperament,  

13.   The dark-of-night passage of "Cap and Trade" legislation  (300-page-long addendum inserted at 3AM the morning of the vote in the  House)  

14.   The high pressure tactics to rush through a  budget-busting $1.6T takeover of  healthcare.    

15.    Phony "townhall"  meetings with a fake cross-section of  Americans selling Obamacare on ABC.  

16.   "Lying" about budget  deficits - projecting 4% GDP growth by  year-end.  

17.   "Lying" about job  losses - projecting that if Congress would  just ram through the "stimulus" that job losses could be halted at 8%  (currently on their way to 10% and rising).  

18.   "Lying" about the costs of nationalized healthcare -- (just  as when politicians projected Medicare's cost in 1990 to be $3 billion, its  actual cost turned out in 1990 to $98 billion - 30 times as  much)  

19.    Pretending that new entitlement programs will  provide lower costs, better care, no significant tax increases, more  competition (as government joins the fray!?) and keeping current private  options.  Claiming "free" healthcare will  make America more competitive is baffling.   Everyone knows the above are lies; but no one seems ready to call them  out.  

20.    Forcing the "stimulus" package on states to impinge  on "States  Rights"  

21.   Failing to support the freedom-loving citizens  in Honduras and  Iran (and instead, giving comfort to  their dictators) to say nothing of his ineffectiveness with North Korea and anti-Israeli pronouncements.  

22.  Allocating $4B of "stimulus" funds to ACORN, the  voter fraud thugs.  

23.  Seeking to push through Union Card Check,  the so-called "Fairness  Doctrine," and threats to take away 2nd  amendment rights (see Eric Holder),  etc.  

24.  Moving the heretofore non-partisan census into the  Whitehouse under the direction of Rahm  Emanuel.


Whatever one thinks of the results, the process of getting to them should bother all Americans.  In the Obama (Mayor Daley?) style of governing, it's not clear that Congress - who can't possibly process thoughtfully the blizzard of legislation - really serves any useful purpose other than to provide Politburo-style cover.  Not only does Congress no longer debate legislation, but Obama has effectively circumvented its oversight of the executive branch by his appointment of czars.  

In contrast to the direction Obama is taking us all, the Economist recently pointed out that 53% of all of the jobs created in the U.S. were created in one state last year: Texas (the most free market of all State economies and the "last best hope" [ha!] for secession?). Meanwhile, in California, -- as a perfect preview to "Obama's America" -- job losses are already well into double digits, the state faces a $25B budget deficit and is closing down services and considering bankruptcy.  I cannot predict what will happen to Obama's popularity, as people wake up to the size and intractability of the deficits he's promoting, the unavailability of credit for small businesses, or the increased tax rates on energy and payrolls provoking a continuing loss of jobs as small businesses shed employees due to skyrocketing costs.

But, is bad economic news bad for Obama?  Sadly, the answer, if one studies the Alinsky formula for bloodless revolution, is "Heck no!"  Indeed, high unemployment is necessary for the Obama Redistribution Plan. According to Alinsky, only with high unemployment will people look to the government for help (and then become dependent), allowing government to gain control over the factors of productions.  If one considers that the Alinsky manual might be Obama's "playbook," one can't help but want to evaluate how closely it's being followed.  

Thus, in evaluating Obama's performance, it's probably worth noting (for the 6-month record) the key elements of the Alinsky formula.  Written in 1971 by Chicago Organizer, Saul Alinsky, under the title of Rules for Radicals, this manual for effective change became Young Barack Obama's "bible."  David Alinsky, son the author said of our new President: "Barack Obama patterned himself after the Saul Alinsky model in everything he has done since arriving in South Chicago."

Alinsky clearly stated its purpose: "Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and change the future. This acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution."

Note how closely Obama is following the rules for internal revolution, based on Alinsky's specific instructions:

1.   Pursue an "Ideology of Change" (Alinsky's  phrase for the most effective way to market revolution)  

2.   Target the banks that  serve the steel, auto, and other industries.  

3.   Start class  warfare -- Fuel the anger of what Alinsky  calls the "Have-Nots," and the "Have-some-but-want-mores" against the  "Haves."     

4.   Use crises to create  fear.  

5.   Use  pollution as a foil to grab power.  

6.   Set up "jobs programs" to  make workers dependent on government.  

7.   Show supreme  self-confidence.  

8.   Make communication skills your key  weapon.  

9.   Use simple catch  phrases and vague  slogans ('Of the Common Welfare, [Nazi  takeover of Germany],  'Bread and Peace,' [Bolshevik Revolution])   In this context, it's not hard to imagine that Change & The  Audacity of Hope will one day be seen as the battle cry for the Obama  revolution.  

10.  Use deception  --".in war the end justifies almost any  means."  

11.  Remain calm, appealing, likeable while  inciting fear, conflict, defeat.


As these steps are being pursued, the press continues to refer to "the Republican recession," so Obama's popularity remains high.  Any who saw tapes of President Bush warning Congress (on two separate occasions) that the market was headed for disaster unless it instituted the very reforms Barney Frank and Chris Dodd pooh-poohed, may be surprised to see the level of "cover" the press is providing this revolution. 

As bleak as things look for free markets, I have hope.  Why?  Just as Bernie Madoff learned that ponzi schemes eventually come to light - Barack Obama may soon learn that you "can't fool all of the people all of the time."  It's unclear to me how much and how long America will have to pay for its experiment with Obamunism - his fantasy "green jobs," his new taxes, his junk science, his czars, his meddling in the auto and banking industries, his sure-to-be-disastrous Obamacare and the encouragement he's giving to union bosses, dictators and tyrants the globe over, to say nothing of his "Peace-through-Weakness" foreign policy.  But, at some point, reality will take over, as it always does.  I just hope America will have its Winston Churchill or Ronald Reagan ready to step into the breach when the time comes.  

So far, the nervousness of Blue Dog Democrats and their ability to resist some of the wackier directives has been the only thing that has kept Obama from an outright failing grade, in my view.  Perhaps, just as the Gingrich Congress rescued Bill Clinton, it may be these so-called Blue Dogs that rescue Obama.  If not, it may be important for the survival of the union for government to be forever split between the parties
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep  2 17:59:41 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 16:59:41 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Interesting analogy
In-Reply-To: <46925D5786C74603B288848124B88E51@YOURB88038198E>
References: <46925D5786C74603B288848124B88E51@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909021459l362f28d8kfad12e33aa4e9c5@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Everything we warned against during the election is coming to
fruition.  You don't sit in a church pew for 20 years listening to
vile sermons unless you're either a hypocrite or a true believer. You
remember Ron from the old list "poo-pooing" you for criticizing
Obama's church? Well guess what?  The church IS radical.  His
neighborhood IS radical. He and Bill Ayers DID blow through $160
million dollars in radical education programs that achieved nothing.
Four days after my employer bought a competitor in 1987, the
"boughtee" company flew a perfectly good 747 into a mountain in Khaula
Lampur listening to the GPWS say SIXTEEN times, WHOOP WHOOP, PULL UP,
TERRAIN, TERRAIN!

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity!

So, here we are.

The mountain is looming.  Mount Debt!

Brad

On 9/2/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> Again information circulating the internet.  I was interested in the
> reference to fascist.  Accurate use of economic terms helps others
> understand.  Brad should enjoy the closeness of this article to his
> thoughts.  Did he really write it or is Brad just on the same page:
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> In case any of you did not notice, there is a Bill in Congress afoot that
> allows the President to control the internet.  So, the days of our
> repertoire may be numbered.
>
> One of Bob Oster's CEO friends wrote this. Bob respects him highly. (For
> those on this list who don't know Bob: he was CFO of Oracle when it went
> public, also CFO of Syntex, and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Berkeley.
> Since 1987, he has been an angel investor and private VC. He is on the Board
> of Overseers at the Hoover Institution.)
>
>
>
> My 6 Month Evaluation of the Obama Presidency
> In November 2008 I wrote out my evaluation of the Obama candidacy and what
> it might mean to America.  I filed this away, but sent it to family members
> and a few close friends and associates just so I'd be accountable for my
> real time observations.  It's now been 6 months since Obama's inauguration.
> (In the business world, this is typically when a first job review would
> occur; so, I made a note to myself to revisit his performance on the 6-month
> anniversary.)  Thus, I now commit to filing my mid-year evaluation of our
> new President.  As well, I've put in the file (but not forwarded to anyone)
> a separate "background check" - the one the press should've on the Obama
> candidacy prior to presenting him to the American public - in case this is
> ever of relevance as things unfold.
>
> As concerned as I was by Obama's candidacy when I wrote out my November
> pre-election reservations, truth be known, I didn't much like McCain/Palin
> either.  At the time, I still had hopes that Obama might "govern from the
> center."  Six months into it, however, I can say that he's been considerably
> worse than my worst fears.  Thus, I'm updating my evaluation - this time
> with the fervent hope that by the year-end I can be genuinely more
> optimistic.
>
> I've concluded that not only was Barack Obama too inexperienced to be
> President, but he also appears to be incompetent as an executive,
> more-than-just-politician-level-dishonest and a bit of a narcissist (if not
> a fascist).  He seems to have little understanding of American history, her
> dreams, or her tremendous potential for risk-taking, self-correction and
> innovation.  He and Michelle have turned out to be quintessential Ivy League
> "Oppression Studies majors" with (carefully concealed) "attitudes."  Obama
> seems, above all, to be a Community Organizer with shakedown credentials and
> extraordinary speaking ability.
>
> All of this should have been clear -- had we simply done serious background
> checks.  (The following 4 items, at least, should have been clear to voters:
>
>
> 1.  His surrogate father figure was Frank Marshall Davis, an avowed
> Communist.
>
> 2. Barack served as a committed trainer for Community Activist and Marxist
> Saul Alinsky.
>
> 3.  He sat for nearly 2 decades at the feet of Jeremiah Wright, an angry,
> anti-American "Black Liberation Theologist".
>
> 4.  His first autobiography, Dreams from My Father, was almost certainly
> ghost-written by William Ayers, a Vietnam-era domestic terrorist.  [This
> last assertion has now been supported by careful analysis of syntax,
> spelling and common errors].)  If these unusual threads (standing alone) are
> discounted to the point of not being disqualifiers, those evaluating Barack
> Obama might have considered that he'd never i) held a job in the private
> sector, ii) managed a payroll, iii) led a turnaround or iv) held any sort of
> executive position.
>
> But, none of this mattered in the fall of 2008.  After 6 months, I'm left
> wondering if power brokers on the Far Left of American politics aren't
> pinching themselves at their success in creating a fictitious character the
> press ushered to market in a Bush-weary and "politically correct" America.
> In his second (!) autobiography, The Audacity of Hope, Obama recognizes the
> advantage of his tabula rasa "creation" when he writes, "I serve as a blank
> screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their
> own views."
>
> And, project we did!  Thus, the former Barry Soetoro of Honolulu, Jakarta,
> Mombasa, Occidental, Columbia, Harvard and the mean streets of Chicago moved
> at light speed from being the first-term senator nobody had ever heard of to
> President of the United States.  In the process, despite numerous efforts,
> no one has yet seen his birth certificate, his college transcripts, his
> application to Occidental (likely as a "foreign student"?), or the passport
> he used to travel in 1981 to Pakistan with buddy Wahid Hamid (likely an
> Indonesian one?).  For some reason, the Obama campaign has, so far, spent
> $3/4 million keeping these records out of public view.  So, it's easy to
> wonder -- if they supported Obama's putative CV -- why not make them
> available and put to rest all suspicions about provenance, training and
> politics?
>
> My growing hunch is that there's virtually no paper trail because the Obama
> biography has been created largely out of whole cloth. There -- I've said
> what increasing numbers of people must be thinking, but are afraid to voice.
>  But, whether or not Obama is more than a cleverly-marketed fiction, and
> whatever one thinks of his history, one thing isclear.  He finally does have
> a record to evaluate.  And, it's not a confidence-inspiring one from my
> standpoint.
>
> At best, Obama is an attractive symbol for America and a compelling
> communicator; but he's
>
> 1.   Not an executive. He's shown an  utter inability to focus, to  set
> priorities and to consider 2nd and 3rd order or long-term consequences to
> his actions.  Lack of focus on priorities is fatal as a CEO; (but, maybe
> less so for a political leader?)
>
> 2.   Not a steward or fiduciary for America.  Obama clearly does not see his
> primary job  as one of overseeing the security and well-being of America
> during his tenure as its chief  executive.  He's not only unwilling to stand
> up for America, but he also regularly seems  to go out of his way to
> apologize for her history.  This makes it  apparent that he believes his
> most important job is to change America into what he and Michelle think  it
> should have been had we  not suffered the Founders' flawed vision.
>
>
> At worst, Obama's aims seem truly radical (if stealth); his methods pure
> Alinsky; and his success derivative of obfuscating the truth, creating
> crises, and rushing changes into law that no one can possibly absorb under
> artificial deadlines - all aimed at limiting private property rights,
> changing the Constitution and forever altering our free market system?
>
> For those who consider Obama's training and background irrelevant, they can
> now evaluate him as a Commander-in-Chief and CEO from what he's done over
> his first 6 months.
>
> Among many other things, these evidences have come in the form of:
>
> 1.   A $787B "stimulus"  package (sold as preventing a "crisis from
> becoming catastrophe")
>
> 2.   The failure to focus on addressing the banking crisis as "Job  One"
>
> 3.   The migration of TARP  funds to non-banking concerns, viz., auto
> industry
>
> 4.   Announcing tax  increases in the middle of a  recession
>
> 5.   Failure to identify projects to fund job  creation (Thus, <10% of
> stimulus yet  spent)
>
> 6.   Announcing that there would be "no pork" or "earmarks" in the
> "stimulus" package in order  to get it passed without review when there were
> nearly 10,000 buried in the  unread bill (including a $9B high-speed rail
> line to Las Vegas for Harry  Reid)
>
> 7.   Bailouts of the banking and auto  industries
>
> 8.   The appointment of a 31-year-old to manage the recreation of the  auto
> companies
>
> 9.   The exalting of union claims above those of bondholders (violating a
> 200+ year history of  contract law/property rights)
>
> 10.   The appointment of 34 unvetted  "czars" -- creating more than in the
> House  of Romanov between 1762 and 1917!
>
> 11.   The failure to appoint a Cabinet of tax-paying, competent Americans
> (reason for the move to the Czar system of administration?)
>
> 12.   The appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court despite an
> apparent lack of qualifications and judicial temperament,
>
> 13.   The dark-of-night passage of "Cap and Trade" legislation
> (300-page-long addendum inserted at 3AM the morning of the vote in the
> House)
>
> 14.   The high pressure tactics to rush through a  budget-busting $1.6T
> takeover of  healthcare.
>
> 15.    Phony "townhall"  meetings with a fake cross-section of  Americans
> selling Obamacare on ABC.
>
> 16.   "Lying" about budget  deficits - projecting 4% GDP growth by
> year-end.
>
> 17.   "Lying" about job  losses - projecting that if Congress would  just
> ram through the "stimulus" that job losses could be halted at 8%  (currently
> on their way to 10% and rising).
>
> 18.   "Lying" about the costs of nationalized healthcare -- (just  as when
> politicians projected Medicare's cost in 1990 to be $3 billion, its  actual
> cost turned out in 1990 to $98 billion - 30 times as  much)
>
> 19.    Pretending that new entitlement programs will  provide lower costs,
> better care, no significant tax increases, more  competition (as government
> joins the fray!?) and keeping current private  options.  Claiming "free"
> healthcare will  make America more competitive is baffling.   Everyone knows
> the above are lies; but no one seems ready to call them  out.
>
> 20.    Forcing the "stimulus" package on states to impinge  on "States
> Rights"
>
> 21.   Failing to support the freedom-loving citizens  in Honduras and  Iran
> (and instead, giving comfort to  their dictators) to say nothing of his
> ineffectiveness with North Korea and anti-Israeli pronouncements.
>
> 22.  Allocating $4B of "stimulus" funds to ACORN, the  voter fraud thugs.
>
> 23.  Seeking to push through Union Card Check,  the so-called "Fairness
> Doctrine," and threats to take away 2nd  amendment rights (see Eric Holder),
>  etc.
>
> 24.  Moving the heretofore non-partisan census into the  Whitehouse under
> the direction of Rahm  Emanuel.
>
>
> Whatever one thinks of the results, the process of getting to them should
> bother all Americans.  In the Obama (Mayor Daley?) style of governing, it's
> not clear that Congress - who can't possibly process thoughtfully the
> blizzard of legislation - really serves any useful purpose other than to
> provide Politburo-style cover.  Not only does Congress no longer debate
> legislation, but Obama has effectively circumvented its oversight of the
> executive branch by his appointment of czars.
>
> In contrast to the direction Obama is taking us all, the Economist recently
> pointed out that 53% of all of the jobs created in the U.S. were created in
> one state last year: Texas (the most free market of all State economies and
> the "last best hope" [ha!] for secession?). Meanwhile, in California, -- as
> a perfect preview to "Obama's America" -- job losses are already well into
> double digits, the state faces a $25B budget deficit and is closing down
> services and considering bankruptcy.  I cannot predict what will happen to
> Obama's popularity, as people wake up to the size and intractability of the
> deficits he's promoting, the unavailability of credit for small businesses,
> or the increased tax rates on energy and payrolls provoking a continuing
> loss of jobs as small businesses shed employees due to skyrocketing costs.
>
> But, is bad economic news bad for Obama?  Sadly, the answer, if one studies
> the Alinsky formula for bloodless revolution, is "Heck no!"  Indeed, high
> unemployment is necessary for the Obama Redistribution Plan. According to
> Alinsky, only with high unemployment will people look to the government for
> help (and then become dependent), allowing government to gain control over
> the factors of productions.  If one considers that the Alinsky manual might
> be Obama's "playbook," one can't help but want to evaluate how closely it's
> being followed.
>
> Thus, in evaluating Obama's performance, it's probably worth noting (for the
> 6-month record) the key elements of the Alinsky formula.  Written in 1971 by
> Chicago Organizer, Saul Alinsky, under the title of Rules for Radicals, this
> manual for effective change became Young Barack Obama's "bible."  David
> Alinsky, son the author said of our new President: "Barack Obama patterned
> himself after the Saul Alinsky model in everything he has done since
> arriving in South Chicago."
>
> Alinsky clearly stated its purpose: "Any revolutionary change must be
> preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change
> among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so
> lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go
> of the past and change the future. This acceptance is the reformation
> essential to any revolution."
>
> Note how closely Obama is following the rules for internal revolution, based
> on Alinsky's specific instructions:
>
> 1.   Pursue an "Ideology of Change" (Alinsky's  phrase for the most
> effective way to market revolution)
>
> 2.   Target the banks that  serve the steel, auto, and other industries.
>
> 3.   Start class  warfare -- Fuel the anger of what Alinsky  calls the
> "Have-Nots," and the "Have-some-but-want-mores" against the  "Haves."
>
> 4.   Use crises to create  fear.
>
> 5.   Use  pollution as a foil to grab power.
>
> 6.   Set up "jobs programs" to  make workers dependent on government.
>
> 7.   Show supreme  self-confidence.
>
> 8.   Make communication skills your key  weapon.
>
> 9.   Use simple catch  phrases and vague  slogans ('Of the Common Welfare,
> [Nazi  takeover of Germany],  'Bread and Peace,' [Bolshevik Revolution])
> In this context, it's not hard to imagine that Change & The  Audacity of
> Hope will one day be seen as the battle cry for the Obama  revolution.
>
> 10.  Use deception  --".in war the end justifies almost any  means."
>
> 11.  Remain calm, appealing, likeable while  inciting fear, conflict,
> defeat.
>
>
> As these steps are being pursued, the press continues to refer to "the
> Republican recession," so Obama's popularity remains high.  Any who saw
> tapes of President Bush warning Congress (on two separate occasions) that
> the market was headed for disaster unless it instituted the very reforms
> Barney Frank and Chris Dodd pooh-poohed, may be surprised to see the level
> of "cover" the press is providing this revolution.
>
> As bleak as things look for free markets, I have hope.  Why?  Just as Bernie
> Madoff learned that ponzi schemes eventually come to light - Barack Obama
> may soon learn that you "can't fool all of the people all of the time."
> It's unclear to me how much and how long America will have to pay for its
> experiment with Obamunism - his fantasy "green jobs," his new taxes, his
> junk science, his czars, his meddling in the auto and banking industries,
> his sure-to-be-disastrous Obamacare and the encouragement he's giving to
> union bosses, dictators and tyrants the globe over, to say nothing of his
> "Peace-through-Weakness" foreign policy.  But, at some point, reality will
> take over, as it always does.  I just hope America will have its Winston
> Churchill or Ronald Reagan ready to step into the breach when the time
> comes.
>
> So far, the nervousness of Blue Dog Democrats and their ability to resist
> some of the wackier directives has been the only thing that has kept Obama
> from an outright failing grade, in my view.  Perhaps, just as the Gingrich
> Congress rescued Bill Clinton, it may be these so-called Blue Dogs that
> rescue Obama.  If not, it may be important for the survival of the union for
> government to be forever split between the parties
>

From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep  3 06:03:07 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 06:03:07 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] From a former Rhodes List Member
Message-ID: <05852B9723F74CF89637123625FCE1C4@YOURB88038198E>

Dan Hope, Ph.D. in planning at University of Georgia is a former Rhodie.  He sold his boat in the early 2000's to Stan when he had no buyers after 6 months on the market.  It was a late 80's model in great shape but standard mast.  When he asked Stan the price of conversion about 2002-3, he was quoted about $4,000 for IMF and sails.  He said Stan was scalping him and Rummy agreed.  In retrospect, changing a boat over from standard mast to IMF requires mast, internal furling, new boom (as they are different lengths also), all new stays (mast are different lengths), different running rigging, IMF sail, and other hardware updates. 

Dan has been quite for several years.  He is a good guy but typical of government planner person.  This email illustrates where he and others how those we refer to as bureacrats think:
(p.s.,he probably has me blocked on his email)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: dhopeiii at uga.edu
To: dhopeiii at uga.edu
Sent: 9/2/2009 12:23:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Fwd: Fair & Equal Treatment of Healthcare Reform for All Americans



I am forwarding this even though I do not agree that a public option health plan is socialized medicine.  I do agree that medical care in this country should be run by the medical profession, not by companies whose primary goal is profit.  We must realize, however, that the members of the medical profession, like any other business or organized group, are not always in complete agreement.

I am amazed at the number of people over 62 yelling about wanting no government run health care.  Would they gladly give up their Medicare?  I wouldn't unless something much better came along.  I certainly don't see the private sector offering me a better health plan.  They are no different than congress which always seems to have benefits that differ from those they impose on the American public.

I once worked for a major insurance company.  My experience there and my observations of the private sector financial "geniuses", or should I say thieves, who brought down the economy give me no reason to believe the private sector will "do the right thing" unless they are forced into doing so.  If republican and democratic administrations had not pulled away from their regulatory responsibilities the private sector would not have been able to get away with the greed driven schemes that have now hurt so many people.

We need increased regulatory oversight of the private sector.  We need a public option health plan to keep the private sector honest and to check their greed.  The public sector option should be run by the federal government, not state-by-state operated health cooperatives.  And, congress should be mandated to use the same health plan they finally agree is best for the rest of the American people.

Dan
---
Daniel Hope III, Ed.D., CPRP
"We train in hopes of being of some use,
however small our role may be,
in the task of bringing peace to mankind around the world."                  
    -Morihei Ueshiba-    


.edu)





 Please pass this on!! 

On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all Democrats - with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy - voted nay.
It took me less than a minute to sign up to require our congressmen and senators to drink at the same trough!  Three cheers for Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana!  
 
Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).

Click on the following link to watch a very brief YouTube video of Congressman John Fleming introducing House Resolution 615:

http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/07/house-resolution-615-calls-of.html
Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition (very simple - just first, last and email). I have immediately done just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/index.html.
Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!
If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should have to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their families.

My apologies if you've already received this, but it's too important to let congress just ram this legislation thru - this is the only way they will slow down and think about this!


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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Thu Sep  3 08:44:22 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 07:44:22 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] From a former Rhodes List Member
In-Reply-To: <05852B9723F74CF89637123625FCE1C4@YOURB88038198E>
References: <05852B9723F74CF89637123625FCE1C4@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909030544j2095c90cj7871d306a78fdcbe@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

This is so typical:

"I do agree that medical care in this country should be run by the medical
profession, not by companies whose primary goal is profit."

No profit motive??? Last I heard, doctors are paid quite well, no profit
motive?? I would imagine Mr. hope is paid for his labors. I bet he has no
profit motive too. Yeah right, like any of us would get up and go to work in
the morning with no profit motive. Why is it such a tough concept; profit is
the part you get to pay for your groceries with.

No argument from me that some insurance companies can be less than honest
.... but then, listen to some of Barack Obama's campaign speeches ... need I
say more?

"Would they gladly give up their Medicare?"

Well, NO!! Not after I spent my whole life paying for it!!! Like most
everybody else, I bought the story about the "trust fund" at first. Most of
us didn't figure out 'til it was way too late the our legislators were just
stealing that money out from under us. Hell, if I had all the money I paid
in for 40 odd years, I wouldn't need their damned social security/medicare.

What would be a great improvement in this country is, if all these gov't
do-gooders would mind their own damned business.

I can agree on one point though. IF congress is going to pass a law
concerning what healthcare I must accept, by God it ought to be good enough
for them too. I'd breally like to stand up and tell Barney, Chris, Harry and
Nancy that they really ain't all that special!!!

Could go on about this for a while, but .... speaking of medicare, I have to
get Sandy up to the doctor's office for some blood tests. So, gotta' go

Rik

On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 5:03 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>  Dan Hope, Ph.D. in planning at University of Georgia is a former Rhodie.
> He sold his boat in the early 2000's to Stan when he had no buyers after 6
> months on the market.  It was a late 80's model in great shape but standard
> mast.  When he asked Stan the price of conversion about 2002-3, he was
> quoted about $4,000 for IMF and sails.  He said Stan was scalping him and
> Rummy agreed.  In retrospect, changing a boat over from standard mast to IMF
> requires mast, internal furling, new boom (as they are different lengths
> also), all new stays (mast are different lengths), different running
> rigging, IMF sail, and other hardware updates.
>
> Dan has been quite for several years.  He is a good guy but typical of
> government planner person.  This email illustrates where he and others how
> those we refer to as bureacrats think:
> (p.s.,he probably has me blocked on his email)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> From: dhopeiii at uga.edu
> To: dhopeiii at uga.edu
> Sent: 9/2/2009 12:23:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
> Subj: Fwd: Fair & Equal Treatment of Healthcare Reform for All Americans
>
>
> I am forwarding this even though I do not agree that a public option health
> plan is socialized medicine.  I do agree that medical care in this country
> should be run by the medical profession, not by companies whose primary goal
> is profit.  We must realize, however, that the members of the medical
> profession, like any other business or organized group, are not always in
> complete agreement.
>
> I am amazed at the number of people over 62 yelling about wanting no
> government run health care.  Would they gladly give up their Medicare?  I
> wouldn't unless something much better came along.  I certainly don't see the
> private sector offering me a better health plan.  They are no different than
> congress which always seems to have benefits that differ from those they
> impose on the American public.
>
> I once worked for a major insurance company.  My experience there and my
> observations of the private sector financial "geniuses", or should I say
> thieves, who brought down the economy give me no reason to believe the
> private sector will "do the right thing" unless they are forced into doing
> so.  If republican and democratic administrations had not pulled away from
> their regulatory responsibilities the private sector would not have been
> able to get away with the greed driven schemes that have now hurt so many
> people.
>
> We need increased regulatory oversight of the private sector.  We need a
> public option health plan to keep the private sector honest and to check
> their greed.  The public sector option should be run by the federal
> government, not state-by-state operated health cooperatives.  And, congress
> should be mandated to use the same health plan they finally agree is best
> for the rest of the American people.
>
> Dan
> ---
> Daniel Hope III, Ed.D., CPRP
> "We train in hopes of being of some use,
> however small our role may be,
> in the task of bringing peace to mankind around the world."
>
>     -Morihei Ueshiba-
>
>
> .edu)
>
>
>
>
>  *Please pass this on!! *
> On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page
> amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members
> and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all
> Democrats - with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara
> Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy - voted nay.
> It took me less than a minute to sign up to require our congressmen and
> senators to drink at the same trough!  Three cheers for Congressman John
> Fleming of Louisiana!
>
> Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment
> that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan
> they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).
>
> Click on the following link to watch a very brief YouTube video of
> Congressman John Fleming introducing House Resolution 615:
>
>
> http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/07/house-resolution-615-calls-of.html
>
> Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his
> petition (very simple - just first, last and email). I have immediately done
> just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/index.html.
> Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!
> If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should have
> to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their families.
>
> My apologies if you've already received this, but it's too important to let
> congress just ram this legislation thru - this is the only way they will
> slow down and think about this!
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep  3 17:52:11 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 16:52:11 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] From a former Rhodes List Member
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909030544j2095c90cj7871d306a78fdcbe@mail.gmail.com>
References: <05852B9723F74CF89637123625FCE1C4@YOURB88038198E>
	<6634e19e0909030544j2095c90cj7871d306a78fdcbe@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909031452l709e1b1fo4db05d846b26693e@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Just passed my 777 systems eval today!  Yeahhhh! Now turn me loose on
the airline profession and all pilots will make a million dollars a
year.  The company has a different attitude.  In fact, they have a
gazillion data points programed into the jet that tell me what
altitude and speed to fly. They want to make a profit.  This is a
pretty simple concept, they make some money, I get some of the money.

So now comes this "useful idiot" who thinks health-care is a right.
Are doctors operating at gun point?  Are pilots?  So this guy is a
planner.  And exactly how many decades did we live without planners?

My patience is pretty short these days with "planners" and "community
organizers".  These arrogant assholes think they know how to take care
of people like us who know how to take care of ourselves.

Brad


On 9/3/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ed,
>
> This is so typical:
>
> "I do agree that medical care in this country should be run by the medical
> profession, not by companies whose primary goal is profit."
>
> No profit motive??? Last I heard, doctors are paid quite well, no profit
> motive?? I would imagine Mr. hope is paid for his labors. I bet he has no
> profit motive too. Yeah right, like any of us would get up and go to work in
> the morning with no profit motive. Why is it such a tough concept; profit is
> the part you get to pay for your groceries with.
>
> No argument from me that some insurance companies can be less than honest
> .... but then, listen to some of Barack Obama's campaign speeches ... need I
> say more?
>
> "Would they gladly give up their Medicare?"
>
> Well, NO!! Not after I spent my whole life paying for it!!! Like most
> everybody else, I bought the story about the "trust fund" at first. Most of
> us didn't figure out 'til it was way too late the our legislators were just
> stealing that money out from under us. Hell, if I had all the money I paid
> in for 40 odd years, I wouldn't need their damned social security/medicare.
>
> What would be a great improvement in this country is, if all these gov't
> do-gooders would mind their own damned business.
>
> I can agree on one point though. IF congress is going to pass a law
> concerning what healthcare I must accept, by God it ought to be good enough
> for them too. I'd breally like to stand up and tell Barney, Chris, Harry and
> Nancy that they really ain't all that special!!!
>
> Could go on about this for a while, but .... speaking of medicare, I have to
> get Sandy up to the doctor's office for some blood tests. So, gotta' go
>
> Rik
>
> On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 5:03 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>
>>  Dan Hope, Ph.D. in planning at University of Georgia is a former Rhodie.
>> He sold his boat in the early 2000's to Stan when he had no buyers after 6
>> months on the market.  It was a late 80's model in great shape but
>> standard
>> mast.  When he asked Stan the price of conversion about 2002-3, he was
>> quoted about $4,000 for IMF and sails.  He said Stan was scalping him and
>> Rummy agreed.  In retrospect, changing a boat over from standard mast to
>> IMF
>> requires mast, internal furling, new boom (as they are different lengths
>> also), all new stays (mast are different lengths), different running
>> rigging, IMF sail, and other hardware updates.
>>
>> Dan has been quite for several years.  He is a good guy but typical of
>> government planner person.  This email illustrates where he and others how
>> those we refer to as bureacrats think:
>> (p.s.,he probably has me blocked on his email)
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> From: dhopeiii at uga.edu
>> To: dhopeiii at uga.edu
>> Sent: 9/2/2009 12:23:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
>> Subj: Fwd: Fair & Equal Treatment of Healthcare Reform for All Americans
>>
>>
>> I am forwarding this even though I do not agree that a public option
>> health
>> plan is socialized medicine.  I do agree that medical care in this country
>> should be run by the medical profession, not by companies whose primary
>> goal
>> is profit.  We must realize, however, that the members of the medical
>> profession, like any other business or organized group, are not always in
>> complete agreement.
>>
>> I am amazed at the number of people over 62 yelling about wanting no
>> government run health care.  Would they gladly give up their Medicare?  I
>> wouldn't unless something much better came along.  I certainly don't see
>> the
>> private sector offering me a better health plan.  They are no different
>> than
>> congress which always seems to have benefits that differ from those they
>> impose on the American public.
>>
>> I once worked for a major insurance company.  My experience there and my
>> observations of the private sector financial "geniuses", or should I say
>> thieves, who brought down the economy give me no reason to believe the
>> private sector will "do the right thing" unless they are forced into doing
>> so.  If republican and democratic administrations had not pulled away from
>> their regulatory responsibilities the private sector would not have been
>> able to get away with the greed driven schemes that have now hurt so many
>> people.
>>
>> We need increased regulatory oversight of the private sector.  We need a
>> public option health plan to keep the private sector honest and to check
>> their greed.  The public sector option should be run by the federal
>> government, not state-by-state operated health cooperatives.  And,
>> congress
>> should be mandated to use the same health plan they finally agree is best
>> for the rest of the American people.
>>
>> Dan
>> ---
>> Daniel Hope III, Ed.D., CPRP
>> "We train in hopes of being of some use,
>> however small our role may be,
>> in the task of bringing peace to mankind around the world."
>>
>>     -Morihei Ueshiba-
>>
>>
>> .edu)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  *Please pass this on!! *
>> On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page
>> amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members
>> and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all
>> Democrats - with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara
>> Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy - voted nay.
>> It took me less than a minute to sign up to require our congressmen and
>> senators to drink at the same trough!  Three cheers for Congressman John
>> Fleming of Louisiana!
>>
>> Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment
>> that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare
>> plan
>> they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).
>>
>> Click on the following link to watch a very brief YouTube video of
>> Congressman John Fleming introducing House Resolution 615:
>>
>>
>> http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/07/house-resolution-615-calls-of.html
>>
>> Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign
>> his
>> petition (very simple - just first, last and email). I have immediately
>> done
>> just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/index.html.
>> Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!
>> If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should
>> have
>> to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their families.
>>
>> My apologies if you've already received this, but it's too important to
>> let
>> congress just ram this legislation thru - this is the only way they will
>> slow down and think about this!
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep  3 19:05:17 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 19:05:17 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Snopes and in incoming email...
Message-ID: <61AF9B216B394E7EBD51A500495FF802@YOURB88038198E>

For what it's worth, here's one person's opinion.

Subject: EYE OPENER - SNOPES

For the past few years www.snopes.com has positioned itself, or others have labeled it, as the 'tell-all final word' on a ny comment, claim and email.  But for several years people tried to find out who exactly was behind snopes.com. 


Only recently did Wikipedia get to the bottom of it - kinda makes you wonder what they were hiding.  Well, finally we know. It is run by a husband and wife team - that's right, no big office of investigators and researchers, no team of lawyers.  It's just a mom-and-pop operation that began as a hobby. David and Barbara Mikkelson in the San Fernando Valley of  California started the website about 13 years ago - and they have no formal background or experience in investigative research.  After a few years it gained popularity with many believing it to be unbiased and neutral, but over the past couple of years people started asking questions who was behind it and did they have a selfish motivation? 

The reason for the questions - or skepticisms - is a result of snopes.com claiming to have the bottom line facts to certain questions or issue when in fact they have been proven wrong.  Also, there were criticisms the Mikkelsons were not really investigating and getting to the 'true' bottom of various issues.

A few months ago, when my State Farm agent Bud Gregg in Mandeville hoisted a political sign referencing Barack Obama and made a=2 0big splash across the internet, 'supposedly' the Mikkelson's clai m to have researched this issue before posting their findings on snopes.com.  In their statement they claimed the corporate office of State Farm pressured Gregg into taking down the  sign, when in fact nothing of the sort 'ever' took place. I personally contacted David Mikkelson (and he replied back to me) thinking he would want to get to the bottom of this and I gave him Bud Gregg's contact phone numbers - and Bud was going to give him phone numbers to the big exec's at State Farm in Illinois who would have been willing to speak with him about it.  He never called Bud. In fact, I learned from Bud Gregg no one from snopes.com ever contacted anyone with State Farm.  Yet, snopes.com issued a statement as the 'final factual word' on the issue as if they did all their homework and got to the bottom of things - not!

Then it has been learned the Mikkelson's are very Democratic (party) and extremely liberal.  As we all now know from this presidential election, liberals have a purpose driven agenda to discredit anything that appears to be conservative.
There has been much criticism lately over the internet with people pointing out the Mikkelson's liberalism revealing itself in their website findings.  
  
So, I say this now to everyone who goes to snopes.com to get what they think to be the bottom line facts...'proceed with caution.' Take what it says at face value and nothing more.  Use it only to lead you to their references where you can link to and read the sources for yourself.  Remember, you can always Google a subject and do the research yourself.  It now seems apparent that's all the Mikkelson's do.  After all, I can personally vouch from my own experience for their 'not' fully looking into things. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snopes.com

I have found this to be true also!  Many videos of Obama I tried to verify on Snopes and they said they were False......  ;Then they gave their Liberal slant....!!! I have suspected some problems with snopes for some time now, but I have only caught them in half-truths. If there is any subjectivity they do an immediate full left rudder. www.truthorfiction.com    is a far a better source for verification, in my opinion.

This couple are is in the tank for Obama. There are many things t hey have listed on their site as a hoax and yet you can go to Youtube yourself and find the video of Obama actually saying these things.  So you see, you cannot and should not... trust Snopes.com ever for anything that is remotely political!  I don't even trust them to tell me if email chains are hoaxes anymore.  So goes modern journalism.  There are cropping up numerous sites and blogs that openly challenging Snopes's findings, opinions, and outright claims.< br>   

A few conservative speakers on Myspace told me about Snopes a few months ago and I took it upon myself to do a little research to find out if it was true. Well, I found out for myself that it is true.  Anyway So you might consider thinking twice before relying on for Snopes.com for fact checking and so your friends the courtesy of tipping them off to Snopes political slant.

Many people still think Snopes.com is neutral and they can be trusted as factual.

We need to make sure everyone is aware that... Snopes is a hoax in itself.
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Thu Sep  3 20:33:42 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 19:33:42 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] From a former Rhodes List Member
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909031452l709e1b1fo4db05d846b26693e@mail.gmail.com>
References: <05852B9723F74CF89637123625FCE1C4@YOURB88038198E>
	<6634e19e0909030544j2095c90cj7871d306a78fdcbe@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909031452l709e1b1fo4db05d846b26693e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909031733s4d18a53fx6a9e7890c086de7a@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

"Now turn me loose on the airline profession and all pilots will make a
million dollars a
year."

Easy now cowboy. You know good and well what happens as soon as it looks
like your making a bunch of easy money.

There'll be more 777 pilots than Carter has little liver pills ...... not to
rain on your parade :-)

But hey, Congratulations!!

Truth be known, this crap has had me in a real pissy mood for a month.
Chewed the ass off the frozen foods manager down at the grocery store the
other day. Not like me at all. Had to apologize to her today. This BS needs
to come to a stop.

And yet, here's our messiah truly trying to play the part .... Let the
little children come to me.

BY GOD ... IF I had kids in school, they'd damned sure be home sick that
day.

This is just gettin' sicker by the minute!!

Rik

______________________
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/02/obama%E2%80%99s-classroom-campaign-no-junior-lobbyist-left-behind/

Obama?s classroom campaign: No junior lobbyist left behind By Michelle
Malkin  ?  September 2, 2009 05:02 AM


*Photoshop: Leo
Alberti<http://thelcabroadside.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/school-indoctrination-obama-youth/>
*

My syndicated column today digs a little deeper into President Obama?s
September 8 speech to schoolchildren. The school guides now featured front
and center on the www.ed.gov website <http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml> were
developed by the White House Teaching
Fellows<http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/awards.html>? a
group which includes several activist educators as you?ll see below.

Downplaying academic achievement in favor of left-wing radical activism in
the public schools is rooted in old neighborhood pal and Weather Underground
terrorist Bill Ayers? pedagogical philosophy. It was the Chicago Annenberg
Challenge <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122212856075765367.html> way when
the two served as board members of the educational foundation ? and it is
the Washington Obama way now.

***

Obama?s classroom campaign: No junior lobbyist left behind
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate <http://www.creators.com/>
Copyright 2009

?ABC? stands for All Barack?s Children. On September 8, young students
across the country will be watching television. Yes, they?ll be parked in
front of the boob tube and computer screens watching President Obama?s address
on education.<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/01/obamas-sept-8-speech-to-schoolchildren/>

Instead of practicing cursive, reviewing multiplication tables, diagramming
sentences, or learning something concrete, America?s kids will be lectured
about the importance of learning. And then the schoolchildren, from
pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, will be exhorted to Do Something ?
other than sit in their seats and receive academic instruction, that is.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan dispatched letters to
principals<http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html>nationwide
boasting that ?This is the first time an American president has
spoken directly to the nation?s school children about persisting and
succeeding in school.? But the goal is not merely morale-boosting. According
to White House event-related guides developed by the U.S. Department of
Education?s Teaching Fellows, grade-school students will be told to ?listen
to the speech? and ?could think about the following:?

**What is the President trying to tell me?*

**What is the President asking me to do?*

**What new ideas and actions is the President challenging me to think about?
*

? Students can record important parts of the speech where the President is
asking them to do something. Students might think about: What specific job
is he asking me to do? Is he asking anything of anyone else? Teachers?
Principals? Parents? The American people?

After the speech, teachers will ask students:

**What do you think the President wants us to do?*

**Does the speech make you want to do anything?*

**Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?*

Obama?s White House Teaching Fellows include Chicago high school
educatorXian Barrett<http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/2009fellows/barrett.html>,
a fierce opponent of charter schools who founded a ?Social Justice
Club?<http://chicagoweekly.net/2009/02/12/the-anti-renaissance-man-one-chicago-teacher-fights-to-save-the-citys-public-schools/>and
bussed students to protests and Michelle
Bissonette<http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/2009fellows/bissonnette.html>,
a Los Altos, Calif., teacher who is ?focused on developing my leadership as
a more culturally and racially conscious educator.?

The activist tradition of government schools using students as junior
lobbyists cannot be ignored. Zealous teacher?s unions have enlisted captive
schoolchildren as
letter-writers<http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/education/287361.php>in
their campaigns for higher education spending. Out-of-control
activists
have enlisted their secondary-school charges in pro-illegal
immigration<http://michellemalkin.com/2008/06/03/a-public-school-field-tripto-the-local-illegal-alien-day-labor-center/>protests,
gay
marriage ceremonies<http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/13/first-graders-take-school-field-tripto-teachers-gay-wedding/>,
environmental propaganda
stunts<http://michellemalkin.com/2007/12/27/roses-are-red-bees-are-swarming-were-all-going-to-die-from-global-warming/>,
and anti-war<http://michellemalkin.com/2007/06/01/anti-war-educators-exploit-the-children-in-the-name-of-peace/>events.

And last year?s presidential campaign saw disgraceful abuses of power by
pro-Obama instructors. In New Rochelle, New
York,<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/05/brainwashed-in-new-rochelle/>elementary
students were given an in-class assignment to color in drawings
of Barack Obama ? including a picture of a campaign button featuring his
face and the slogan ?Students for Obama 2008.?

In Cumberland County, N.C., a fifth-grade-school teacher turned a ?civics?
discussion into an unhinged
harangue<http://michellemalkin.com/2008/11/06/child-abuser-obama-supporting-teacher-bullies-soldiers-daughter/>against
a girl who said her family supported John McCain.

Nor can the Democrats? strategy of using kiddie human shields to advance
their legislative agenda be overlooked in the context and timing of Obama?s
speech. Children have been front and center of the Left?s push for an
ever-increasing government role in health care ? from Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid?s use of seventh-grader Baltimore school kid Graeme
Frost<http://michellemalkin.com/category/graeme-frost/>to push for the
massive S-CHIP entitlement expansion, to President Obama?s
none-too-coincidental choice of Massachusetts 11-year-old town hall
questioner Julia Hall
<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/11/little-girl-at-obama-town-hall-has-not-so-random-political-connections/>(the
daughter of a prominent Obama activist/organizer who assailed Obamacare
critics? ?mean? signs), to the Kennedy family?s decision to put grandson Max
Allen<http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/29/its-come-to-this-dems-task-teddys-grandson-with-leading-funeral-prayer-for-obamacare/>on
center stage to pray for health care reform at his uncle?s funeral
last
week.

So when the Department of Education directs schools to gather children
?round the TV monitors for Obama?s pep talk and then do this?

*? Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants or
puzzle pieces or trails marked with the labels: personal, academic,
community, country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for
achieving goals in those areas. It might make sense to focus on personal and
academic so community and country goals come more readily.*

*? Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.
These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by
the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.*

?parents have every right to worry about their children being used as
Political Guinea Pigs for Change.


On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 4:52 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> Just passed my 777 systems eval today!  Yeahhhh! Now turn me loose on
> the airline profession and all pilots will make a million dollars a
> year.  The company has a different attitude.  In fact, they have a
> gazillion data points programed into the jet that tell me what
> altitude and speed to fly. They want to make a profit.  This is a
> pretty simple concept, they make some money, I get some of the money.
>
> So now comes this "useful idiot" who thinks health-care is a right.
> Are doctors operating at gun point?  Are pilots?  So this guy is a
> planner.  And exactly how many decades did we live without planners?
>
> My patience is pretty short these days with "planners" and "community
> organizers".  These arrogant assholes think they know how to take care
> of people like us who know how to take care of ourselves.
>
> Brad
>
>
> On 9/3/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Ed,
> >
> > This is so typical:
> >
> > "I do agree that medical care in this country should be run by the
> medical
> > profession, not by companies whose primary goal is profit."
> >
> > No profit motive??? Last I heard, doctors are paid quite well, no profit
> > motive?? I would imagine Mr. hope is paid for his labors. I bet he has no
> > profit motive too. Yeah right, like any of us would get up and go to work
> in
> > the morning with no profit motive. Why is it such a tough concept; profit
> is
> > the part you get to pay for your groceries with.
> >
> > No argument from me that some insurance companies can be less than honest
> > .... but then, listen to some of Barack Obama's campaign speeches ...
> need I
> > say more?
> >
> > "Would they gladly give up their Medicare?"
> >
> > Well, NO!! Not after I spent my whole life paying for it!!! Like most
> > everybody else, I bought the story about the "trust fund" at first. Most
> of
> > us didn't figure out 'til it was way too late the our legislators were
> just
> > stealing that money out from under us. Hell, if I had all the money I
> paid
> > in for 40 odd years, I wouldn't need their damned social
> security/medicare.
> >
> > What would be a great improvement in this country is, if all these gov't
> > do-gooders would mind their own damned business.
> >
> > I can agree on one point though. IF congress is going to pass a law
> > concerning what healthcare I must accept, by God it ought to be good
> enough
> > for them too. I'd breally like to stand up and tell Barney, Chris, Harry
> and
> > Nancy that they really ain't all that special!!!
> >
> > Could go on about this for a while, but .... speaking of medicare, I have
> to
> > get Sandy up to the doctor's office for some blood tests. So, gotta' go
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 5:03 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net>
> wrote:
> >
> >>  Dan Hope, Ph.D. in planning at University of Georgia is a former
> Rhodie.
> >> He sold his boat in the early 2000's to Stan when he had no buyers after
> 6
> >> months on the market.  It was a late 80's model in great shape but
> >> standard
> >> mast.  When he asked Stan the price of conversion about 2002-3, he was
> >> quoted about $4,000 for IMF and sails.  He said Stan was scalping him
> and
> >> Rummy agreed.  In retrospect, changing a boat over from standard mast to
> >> IMF
> >> requires mast, internal furling, new boom (as they are different lengths
> >> also), all new stays (mast are different lengths), different running
> >> rigging, IMF sail, and other hardware updates.
> >>
> >> Dan has been quite for several years.  He is a good guy but typical of
> >> government planner person.  This email illustrates where he and others
> how
> >> those we refer to as bureacrats think:
> >> (p.s.,he probably has me blocked on his email)
> >>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >> From: dhopeiii at uga.edu
> >> To: dhopeiii at uga.edu
> >> Sent: 9/2/2009 12:23:25 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
> >> Subj: Fwd: Fair & Equal Treatment of Healthcare Reform for All Americans
> >>
> >>
> >> I am forwarding this even though I do not agree that a public option
> >> health
> >> plan is socialized medicine.  I do agree that medical care in this
> country
> >> should be run by the medical profession, not by companies whose primary
> >> goal
> >> is profit.  We must realize, however, that the members of the medical
> >> profession, like any other business or organized group, are not always
> in
> >> complete agreement.
> >>
> >> I am amazed at the number of people over 62 yelling about wanting no
> >> government run health care.  Would they gladly give up their Medicare?
>  I
> >> wouldn't unless something much better came along.  I certainly don't see
> >> the
> >> private sector offering me a better health plan.  They are no different
> >> than
> >> congress which always seems to have benefits that differ from those they
> >> impose on the American public.
> >>
> >> I once worked for a major insurance company.  My experience there and my
> >> observations of the private sector financial "geniuses", or should I say
> >> thieves, who brought down the economy give me no reason to believe the
> >> private sector will "do the right thing" unless they are forced into
> doing
> >> so.  If republican and democratic administrations had not pulled away
> from
> >> their regulatory responsibilities the private sector would not have been
> >> able to get away with the greed driven schemes that have now hurt so
> many
> >> people.
> >>
> >> We need increased regulatory oversight of the private sector.  We need a
> >> public option health plan to keep the private sector honest and to check
> >> their greed.  The public sector option should be run by the federal
> >> government, not state-by-state operated health cooperatives.  And,
> >> congress
> >> should be mandated to use the same health plan they finally agree is
> best
> >> for the rest of the American people.
> >>
> >> Dan
> >> ---
> >> Daniel Hope III, Ed.D., CPRP
> >> "We train in hopes of being of some use,
> >> however small our role may be,
> >> in the task of bringing peace to mankind around the world."
> >>
> >>     -Morihei Ueshiba-
> >>
> >>
> >> .edu)
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>  *Please pass this on!! *
> >> On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a
> two-page
> >> amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all
> Members
> >> and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet
> all
> >> Democrats - with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara
> >> Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy - voted nay.
> >> It took me less than a minute to sign up to require our congressmen and
> >> senators to drink at the same trough!  Three cheers for Congressman John
> >> Fleming of Louisiana!
> >>
> >> Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment
> >> that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare
> >> plan
> >> they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).
> >>
> >> Click on the following link to watch a very brief YouTube video of
> >> Congressman John Fleming introducing House Resolution 615:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/07/house-resolution-615-calls-of.html
> >>
> >> Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign
> >> his
> >> petition (very simple - just first, last and email). I have immediately
> >> done
> >> just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/index.html.
> >> Please urge as many people as you can to do the same!
> >> If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should
> >> have
> >> to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their
> families.
> >>
> >> My apologies if you've already received this, but it's too important to
> >> let
> >> congress just ram this legislation thru - this is the only way they will
> >> slow down and think about this!
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Fri Sep  4 02:52:27 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 01:52:27 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Wow, not exactly a fan of the "liberal lion"
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909032352k7e89bae9r6148c5383a3ca3cb@mail.gmail.com>

Good evening All,

Can't say I don't mostly agree, but wow Linda, tell us how you really feel

Kinda long to paste, but here's a link.

http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/pushing-national-healthcare-with-senator-kennedys-corpse/

Anyone who thought as much of Ted as I did will get a kick out of this.

Rik

-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Fri Sep  4 05:38:44 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 05:38:44 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] and this is for Rik ...
Message-ID: <E91CCF7C577D4798B1F4FA8F047E0441@YOURB88038198E>

Another uTube circulating the internet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded 

Will the last person leaving the room turn off the lights...

Ed K
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Fri Sep  4 05:54:19 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 05:54:19 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Internet issues ...
Message-ID: <8DEC31720DCF44EEB065198A19D36534@YOURB88038198E>

For those interested in internet security issues:

http://securitywatch.eweek.com/powerpoint/new_powerpoint_attacks_hit_old_flaw.html

EK
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep  3 19:09:14 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 19:09:14 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Does anyone read French?
Message-ID: <7370C146944E42E5BFF9B79033E7A120@YOURB88038198E>

See attached picture:

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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Fri Sep  4 10:35:29 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 09:35:29 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Does anyone read French?
In-Reply-To: <7370C146944E42E5BFF9B79033E7A120@YOURB88038198E>
References: <7370C146944E42E5BFF9B79033E7A120@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909040735y2e20093ay67d5cee2549d1f4e@mail.gmail.com>

Hmmm ..... wonder when that garment was made ....

Rik
-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Fri Sep  4 10:31:11 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 09:31:11 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] and this is for Rik ...
In-Reply-To: <E91CCF7C577D4798B1F4FA8F047E0441@YOURB88038198E>
References: <E91CCF7C577D4798B1F4FA8F047E0441@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909040731r7cfa2b4eh3b8adc415f5a4ef8@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Boy, I hope somebody from Michigan remembers to vote for that guy. With so
few in the congress that seem able to show any common sense at all, here's a
bright light they could perhaps learn something from.

Rik

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:38 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>  Another uTube circulating the internet:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
>
> Will the last person leaving the room turn off the lights...
>
> Ed K
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Fri Sep  4 10:31:11 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 09:31:11 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] and this is for Rik ...
In-Reply-To: <E91CCF7C577D4798B1F4FA8F047E0441@YOURB88038198E>
References: <E91CCF7C577D4798B1F4FA8F047E0441@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909040731r7cfa2b4eh3b8adc415f5a4ef8@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Boy, I hope somebody from Michigan remembers to vote for that guy. With so
few in the congress that seem able to show any common sense at all, here's a
bright light they could perhaps learn something from.

Rik

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:38 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>  Another uTube circulating the internet:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
>
> Will the last person leaving the room turn off the lights...
>
> Ed K
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From mweisner at ebsmed.com  Fri Sep  4 11:40:42 2009
From: mweisner at ebsmed.com (Michael D. Weisner)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 11:40:42 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Does anyone read French?
References: <7370C146944E42E5BFF9B79033E7A120@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <1796FB81F0104729B5505373759A99DF@ebsoffice>

Ed,

Since I can no longer depend on snopes.com, I tried urbanlegends and turned up the following link:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_anti_bush_label.htm

from a 2004 email.

The beauty of the Internet is that this stuff never dies and like fashion, is back "in" after a while.

Mike
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ed Kroposki 
  To: Swift Water 
  Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 7:09 PM
  Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Does anyone read French?


  See attached picture:




------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
  SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
  http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette


--
I am using the free version of SPAMfighter.
We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam.
SPAMfighter has removed 4223 of my spam emails to date.
Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len

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From ekroposki at charter.net  Fri Sep  4 12:28:46 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 12:28:46 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Medicare
Message-ID: <0C4BB3AA5E1540DCA148F9571445E3D3@YOURB88038198E>

MEDICARE IN A NUTSHELL


The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, 'Hello.'


'Mrs. Sanders, please.'


'Speaking.'

'Mrs. Sanders, this is Doctor James at Saint Agnes Laboratory. When
your husband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy
from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which
one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not
too good.'


'What do you mean?' Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.


'Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the
other one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which.'


'That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?' questioned Mrs. Sanders.


'Normally we can, but Medicare will only pay for these expensive tests
once and once only.'


'Well, what am I supposed to do now?'


'The folks at Medicare recommend that you drop your husband off
somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep
with him.'

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From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep  6 06:05:45 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 06:05:45 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Deep Space
Message-ID: <5FD37D93C95C47D48A62FF21647C9157@YOURB88038198E>

Deep space, a perspective:

http://www.flixxy.com/hubble-ultra-deep-field-3d.htm

Ed K
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep  6 08:58:58 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 08:58:58 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] circulatining the internet - Jesse Ventura
Message-ID: <AE23ED48DD9341019894105F4F9A4050@YOURB88038198E>

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/429.html
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep  6 09:00:05 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 09:00:05 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Perspective of the Hubble Telescope.
Message-ID: <35D641DBF7FE4A1F9DC50ACC0E89C11E@YOURB88038198E>



http://www.flixxy.com/hubble-ultra-deep-field-3d.htm
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep  6 12:22:31 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 12:22:31 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Former voice of the Christian Right
Message-ID: <1B378AAE8C18401E9F55A770F0BF93DB@YOURB88038198E>

Ever wonder where the Christian Right got some of its ideas?

Do you fully appreciate the internet in keeping historical thoughts?

Check this out:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
 ~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 

Ed K
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sun Sep  6 12:32:59 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 11:32:59 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Former voice of the Christian Right
In-Reply-To: <1B378AAE8C18401E9F55A770F0BF93DB@YOURB88038198E>
References: <1B378AAE8C18401E9F55A770F0BF93DB@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909060932w519085e7l10cb05ae2cbc89c3@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Dr. Rogers is indeed responsible for that quote but the internet
always gets the date wrong.  It comes from his book  "Ten Secrets for
a Successful Family" written in 1996.  Rogers was the minister here in
Memphis at Bellvue Baptist Church until he died a few years ago, a
HUGE mega-church (22,000 members) that a number of my co-workers
attend.  I call Bellvue "Six Flags Over Jesus" which doesn't offend
the folks who attend there - it is BIG!

Brad


On 9/6/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> Ever wonder where the Christian Right got some of its ideas?
>
> Do you fully appreciate the internet in keeping historical thoughts?
>
> Check this out:
>
> "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out
> of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person
> must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody
> anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When
> half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the
> other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the
> idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what
> they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You
> cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
>  ~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931
>
> Ed K

From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep  6 12:34:05 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 12:34:05 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Was it this way under Bush?
Message-ID: <A7206AAED8E140CD975E87B370129B0A@YOURB88038198E>

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/montana-town-hall-meeting-obama-town-hall-august-14-2009-seiu-thugs-white-house-control-press-restricted/

First-hand Witness to Staged Obama Town Hall Meeting in Belgrade, Montana
by Sue Citizen Wells August 18, 2009

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Joe and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.

On about Tuesday Joe found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Joe knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.
FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$

During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$

Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday.

Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED.

This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Joe and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal) and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd.

The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)

Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.

If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.

We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho. Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.

It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America, more like the USSR!! I was physically nauseous. Joe and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC. Scary!!

Sue

Bozeman, Montana
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sun Sep  6 12:52:21 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 11:52:21 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Was it this way under Bush?
In-Reply-To: <A7206AAED8E140CD975E87B370129B0A@YOURB88038198E>
References: <A7206AAED8E140CD975E87B370129B0A@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909060952p4a20ee64u47e12b7565b7c850@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Yup!  Goebbels would be proud.  Notice how the MSM didn't cover Van
Jones until they absolutely had to, and then is was a GOP smear
tactic?  The fact that Van Jones was an avowed communist wasn't reason
enough for concern?

Brad


On 9/6/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/montana-town-hall-meeting-obama-town-hall-august-14-2009-seiu-thugs-white-house-control-press-restricted/
>
> First-hand Witness to Staged Obama Town Hall Meeting in Belgrade, Montana
> by Sue Citizen Wells August 18, 2009
>
> By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last
> Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered.
> I feel that since Joe and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I
> should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the
> information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do
> ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.
>
> On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would
> be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare
> and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they
> were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than
> the date.
>
> On about Tuesday Joe found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at
> the airport. (This is only because Joe knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our
> airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote
> location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the
> most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and
> you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.
> FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a
> large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All
> of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$
>
> During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport
> employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our
> President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a
> recession. $$$$$
>
> Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be
> handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be
> arriving around 12:30 Friday.
>
> Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were
> printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900
> tickets just DISAPPEARED.
>
> This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch
> and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama.
> Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been
> really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the
> Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing.
> $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.
>
> On Friday Joe and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that
> wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to
> protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus
> carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto
> the area (illegal) and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and
> there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight.
> Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not
> have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd.
>
> The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of
> 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made
> signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks
> were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and
> preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in
> ANOTHER area)
>
> Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid
> confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept
> coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and
> aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.
>
> So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs
> and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name
> it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found
> out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.
>
> If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks
> were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked
> on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even
> visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.
>
> We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho.
> Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were
> to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want
> anyone to have to think off the top of their head.
>
> It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White
> House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear
> that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those
> people that talked about their insurance woes........the White House called
> our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for
> names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and
> mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The
> amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living
> in the United States of America, more like the USSR!! I was physically
> nauseous. Joe and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State
> visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our
> country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our
> country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your
> voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to
> BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC.
> Scary!!
>
> Sue
>
> Bozeman, Montana
>

From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep  6 13:17:26 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 13:17:26 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Adrian Rogers
Message-ID: <88E81F904C0248DEA42D313FD1BCE995@YOURB88038198E>

Brad,

While used in his book, could he have also used it in sermons over the years?

The book just being a compilation of some of his sermons?

Anyway, I like it:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Dr. Adrian Rogers

As to Van Jones, I suspect just a momentary hiccup by Obama. I expect to be assaulted again. Only his supporters do not understand what Maxism by any other name really is.  They do not understand elementary economics.  And have little regard for truth from those who do.

Have I posted this Frechman's eonomic theory?

Bastiat's Austrian School Ideas

 

"While Bastiat was shaping economic opinion in France, Karl Marx was writing Das Kapital, and the socialist notion of "class conflict" that the economic gains of capitalists necessarily came at the expense of workers was gaining in popularity. 



Bastiat's Economic Harmonies explained why the opposite is true.  That the interests of mankind are essentially harmonious if they can be cultivated in a free society where government confines its responsibilities to suppressing thieves, murderers, and special-interest groups who seek to use the state as a means of plundering their fellow citizens."



Gee, this guys view could even include some, but not all trial lawyers.  Naturally it would exclude those who bow down to Obama, calling him Messiah.


Ed K
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Sun Sep  6 14:08:36 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 13:08:36 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Former voice of the Christian Right
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909060932w519085e7l10cb05ae2cbc89c3@mail.gmail.com>
References: <1B378AAE8C18401E9F55A770F0BF93DB@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909060932w519085e7l10cb05ae2cbc89c3@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909061108p6d3102d5tf756cd69265245c8@mail.gmail.com>

Ed, Brad,

"You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

And yet, NOBODY (well, very few) can seem to grasp this simple truth.

How hard can it be???

Dr. Rogers was apparently a very wise man.

Rik

On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 11:32 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ed,
>
> Dr. Rogers is indeed responsible for that quote but the internet
> always gets the date wrong.  It comes from his book  "Ten Secrets for
> a Successful Family" written in 1996.  Rogers was the minister here in
> Memphis at Bellvue Baptist Church until he died a few years ago, a
> HUGE mega-church (22,000 members) that a number of my co-workers
> attend.  I call Bellvue "Six Flags Over Jesus" which doesn't offend
> the folks who attend there - it is BIG!
>
> Brad
>
>
> On 9/6/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> > Ever wonder where the Christian Right got some of its ideas?
> >
> > Do you fully appreciate the internet in keeping historical thoughts?
> >
> > Check this out:
> >
> > "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy
> out
> > of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person
> > must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody
> > anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When
> > half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the
> > other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets
> the
> > idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get
> what
> > they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You
> > cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."
> >  ~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931
> >
> > Ed K
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep  7 07:24:23 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 07:24:23 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Greenville County South Carolina Politics
Message-ID: <05732E95C99746B9912C176CACE580C1@YOURB88038198E>

            Greenville County Republican Party
            Chairman's Letter 
            Sept. 6th 2009
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
            Dear Republican Friend,
             
            I don't know if we have ever lived in a day that is filled with such government intrusions as we are livingin today. We have a president that is bent on running our lives through government programs and congressional legislation. Bills such as the "Cap and Trade" force the American working family to spend even more on energy bills and leave themwith less to provide for the basic needs of their families. Not only will such legislation hurt families right now, but in the future as well. How can these families put away money for college or a rainy day if their energy costs keep rising as a result of government mandates?  
             
            America was built upon the principle that every man and woman is free to succeed or to fail. Why does the government think it is up to them to decide who should fail or succeed? The responsibility to succeed or fail should fall squarely on individuals and their desire to better themselves, or not. It is not the responsibility of my friends, my neighbors or my government to see that I succeed, but mine wholly.  Someone may decide of his own free will to aid and help me, but such help should not be required or mandated, especially from the government.
             
            It was once said, "And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."  It does not matter that these powerful words were said by a democrat who was an American, but by an American who happened to be a democrat. True Americans are they who speak such a sound message of individual liberty and freedom, either to fail or to succeed. Are we then supposed to give up every freedom that we have in a feckless attempt to give every man and woman success?  We know that in every society from the beginning of time there will always be those that will not choose to better themselves or who will try to live off the benevolence of others.  But we also know that the majority of Americans are willing to fight and stand against every trial thrown at us, stare back at it, and push forward. That is just what we do and what we have always done.  But now we live in a day wherein our own president is throwing apologies around as if the ideals we have lived and died for, that have defined us as Americans, were somehow wrong.
             
            To opt for a watered down imitation democracy that denies the basic principles our nation was founded on is to become a weak and ineffective society that is doomed for extinction.
             
            You may ask what you can do.
             
            Continue striving to better yourself and your family. Look to provide for the future and set goals that are attainable through times of ups and downs, but mainly through good old fashioned work. Do it more boldly and enthusiastically so that your fellow man can see and be encouraged by your efforts.  If America is to be the proud nation the generations that came before us built, we must be involved in changing the destructive course that this country is on. Please partner with me in what we call "Getting Back to Basics."  It sounds simple because it is.  Below I have laid out several things you can do that will help get this country back on track.
             

            Read the Constitution of the United States of America.
            Strengthen and emphasize your family and their successes now and in the future.
            Get involved in your local area. Church, community club, political party, etc...
            Learn who represents you in every level of government -- community, city, county, state, and federal. Know their names and where their offices are. Know their contact information and their voting record.
            Find out what these representatives are doing in relation to #1.
            Get involved in your voting precinct because that is where you will have the biggest impact.
            Offer yourself for public office.  If you don't the other side surely will.
             
             
            In recent days we have learned the President Obama is planning to address our children at school through a broadcast in an effort to encourage them to write letters to themselves asking what can they do for their country.  

            At first they were to be asked to write about how they could "help" President Obama.  After much criticism from outraged Americans who thought the wording suggested the President was asking our children to serve his agenda, the White House announced the President would ask children to write about their educational goals. In my opinion the outrage was justified.  Since the beginning of this great country we have never wanted or desired to be ruled by a king or dictator, but that is exactly what some people in this country apparently want.  I for one am appalled that one would be so na?ve as to believe that this county will throw out our country's founding documents and replace them with a ruler that we are to serve. Our government, carefully crafted on the framework of the Constitution, was intended to serve the people, not the other way around.   
             
            President Kennedy's historic address to the nation encouraging us to ask what we could do for our country is timely and critical for these times.  What are we going to do for ourselves and this country?  What are you going to do for yourself, your family and your future?

            My fellow Americans, it is now time that we "Get back to the Basics."  Now is the time that we stand together and tell every branch of government, no matter how minute they are, that we are watching and listening and that they are on notice.  If our elected officials keep moving away from the Constitution, then we will replace them.  
             
            I leave you with one more of President Kennedy's remarks that is true to this day:  "the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."  If only we could get his party to believe this now.

            Sincerely,

            Patrick Haddon, Chairman
            Greenville County Republican Party
            1st Vice Chairman, SCGOP 
     
     
     
     
     
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From bill at effros.com  Fri Sep  4 10:55:25 2009
From: bill at effros.com (Bill Effros)
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:55:25 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Does anyone read French?
In-Reply-To: <7370C146944E42E5BFF9B79033E7A120@YOURB88038198E>
References: <7370C146944E42E5BFF9B79033E7A120@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <4AA12A5D.50103@effros.com>

Ed,

This was posted to the Rhodes-22 list while Bush was President.

Still funny.

B.

PS -- Welcome home.

PPS -- Congratulations, Brad.



Ed Kroposki wrote:
> See attached picture:
>  
>  
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>   
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 08:56:51 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 07:56:51 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Greenville County South Carolina Politics
In-Reply-To: <05732E95C99746B9912C176CACE580C1@YOURB88038198E>
References: <05732E95C99746B9912C176CACE580C1@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909070556m4c5e1079x17ebbb8ca2a0fb5c@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

As you have probably noticed, my blogging (and reading) has been light
all week because I'm up to my neck in training.  Thirty-seven years of
flying hasn't prepared me to learn to fly an airplane via computers
nearly as well as the average 11-year old is from having spent two
weeks playing on MS Flight Simulator. Even today, I'm spending a
substantial amount of the holiday practicing my keystrokes (turning
the 'magic' off and doing pilot stuff is discouraged).  That said, I
did spend a couple of hours this morning catching-up on events and
stumbled across an article that echoed many of the same thoughts you
posted (attached below).   This has been an insightful week for anyone
who paid attention.  The first the NYT's and the WaPo printed anything
about the Van Jones affair was yesterday after the midnight
resignation (why was he allowed to "resign" versus being fired?), and
both papers implied that the resignation was in response to pressure
from the GOP because Van Jones had called them "assholes".  Neither
made any mention of the dozens of YouTube videos where Van Jones
proudly stated he was a communist.  No mention was made of the YouTube
videos where he lashed out at "whitey" (actually using the term).
Both papers (and the AP) failed to research his membership in and the
founding of radical organizations. The whole situation begs the
question of President Obama; was Van Jones the result of improper
vetting or is he just another example of people who Obama is
comfortable with because they share the same views? I'm inclined to
believe the latter, not that either answer should leave us feeling
comfortable. Were Cora a bit older we would probably keep her home
from school on the day that students will be force-fed a message from
the POTUS.  People tend to forget that the separation of Church and
State in the Constitution was primarily about not establishing a State
religion.  I am firmly am against the State being a religion as well.
As for my wife, the whole thing reminds her a bit too much of coming
home from school with the "Little Red Book" as her primary reader.

These are interesting times!

Brad

----------------

September 05, 2009
By the Book: How Democracies Perish
By Lance Fairchok

    Exaggerated self-criticism would be a harmless luxury of
civilization if there were no enemy at the gate condemning democracy's
very existence. But it becomes dangerous when it portrays its mortal
enemy as always being in the right. Extravagant criticism is a good
propaganda device in internal politics. But if it is repeated often
enough, it is finally believed. And where will the citizens of
democratic societies find reasons to resist the enemy outside if they
are persuaded from childhood that their civilization is merely an
accumulation of failures and a monstrous imposture?
     - Jean Francois Revel, How Democracies Perish

"Extravagant criticism" and "Exaggerated self-criticism" are perhaps
the best descriptions for one of the fundamental strategies used by
America's radical left to gain and keep power. This ever-present ploy
is used at every level, from the White House to town hall meetings, to
deceive, manipulate and control our restive citizens. It has permeated
academia and the press. Even the Republican Party consistently and
discouragingly falls for its deceits, repeating obvious propaganda
inserted into the national debate by a Democratic Party that is
unabashedly socialist.

I discovered Jean Francois Revel quite by accident. While researching
anti-American organizations that support terrorist groups, I came
across a thin volume entitled simply, Anti-Americanism. Written by a
respected French intellectual, it is the rarest of works, examining
and condemning the reflexive and unjustified anti-Americanism found in
the European and particularly the French press. It is a clear and
biting indictment of the unreason of the popular press and of the
totalitarian left. Revel's regard for the US was unclouded by naive
romanticism. He judged us fairly, took stock of our strengths and
weaknesses and found us admirable.

While visiting a used bookstore a few weeks later, I found another
Revel book, How Democracies Perish. In its pages, I found a chilling
examination of the methodologies used to undermine and destroy free
market democracies. Written within the context of the cold war, Revel
dissected democracies external and internal conflicts, those arising
from the totalitarian impulses of socialism. He identified democracies
fifth column, the political insurgents that fight against prosperity
and success, deluded by utopian ideologies and filled with the
monumental arrogance that defines the left.

    "But democracy can defend itself only very feebly; its internal
enemy has an easy time of it because he exploits the right to disagree
that is inherent in democracy. His aim of destroying democracy itself,
of actively seeking an absolute monopoly of power, is shrewdly hidden
behind the citizen's right to oppose and criticize the system.
Paradoxically, democracy offers those seeking to abolish it a unique
opportunity to work against it legally. They can even receive almost
open support from the external enemy without its being seen as a truly
serious violation of the social contract. The frontier is vague, the
transition easy between the status of a loyal opponent wielding a
privilege built into democratic institutions and that of an adversary
subverting those institutions. To totalitarianism, an opponent is by
definition subversive; democracy treats subversives as mere opponents
for fear of betraying it principles."


Revel's description was prescient. Today, the "internal enemy" chips
away with manic energy, promising idyllic outcomes, using populist
messages built of falsehood, creating expectations of the impossible.
Spreading confusion that diminishes our national self-confidence and
encourages inaction, they have infected our democracy with a guilt
that has no basis in fact. Their agenda is one of deconstructive
contrarianism, which they cleverly call progressivism that blames all
the world's ills on our success.

In the short time Obama and the radical left have been in power, they
have worked hard to bleed our spirit and our energy with massive tax
increases, corruption, cronyism, special interest entitlements, new
regulations and the politicization of our institutions. They appease
tyrants, siding against democracies, giving unredeemable despots
status and legitimacy and prolonging the suffering of millions. They
mouth the words of our founders to hide their true nature. They work
to dismantle freedom after freedom, destroying what we have proudly
fought for and so lovingly built. They do not revere what has made us
great; they embrace all that will bring us down. They take success and
call it failure, and demand we bow our heads and accept ridicule from
those who cannot equal us.

Revel writes, "Perhaps in history democracy will have been an
accident, a brief parenthesis which comes to a close before our very
eyes." We now know that tyranny can grow from the fertile ground of
national success just as surely as it does from poverty. From whatever
direction it comes at us, from economic desperation or elitist
ideology, the consequences will be the same, eventual disaster and
ruin, our greatness but a memory. Our external enemies cannot defeat
us, yet we face deconstruction by homegrown socialists and admitted
communists. How Democracies Perish has a new relevance born of old
insights. In its final line, Revel quotes the words of Achim d'Arnim,
"The history of the world begins anew with every man, and ends with
him." Ultimately, the America we love lives or dies because of the
action or inaction of its citizens. Revel reminds us of the terrible
responsibility of that citizenship, as we face a battle for survival,
against ourselves.

Page Printed from:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/09/by_the_book_how_democracies_pe.html
at September 07, 2009 - 07:48:20 AM EDT

On 9/7/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>             Greenville County Republican Party
>             Chairman's Letter
>             Sept. 6th 2009
>             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>             Dear Republican Friend,
>
>             I don't know if we have ever lived in a day that is filled with
> such government intrusions as we are livingin today. We have a president
> that is bent on running our lives through government programs and
> congressional legislation. Bills such as the "Cap and Trade" force the
> American working family to spend even more on energy bills and leave
> themwith less to provide for the basic needs of their families. Not only
> will such legislation hurt families right now, but in the future as well.
> How can these families put away money for college or a rainy day if their
> energy costs keep rising as a result of government mandates?
>
>             America was built upon the principle that every man and woman is
> free to succeed or to fail. Why does the government think it is up to them
> to decide who should fail or succeed? The responsibility to succeed or fail
> should fall squarely on individuals and their desire to better themselves,
> or not. It is not the responsibility of my friends, my neighbors or my
> government to see that I succeed, but mine wholly.  Someone may decide of
> his own free will to aid and help me, but such help should not be required
> or mandated, especially from the government.
>
>             It was once said, "And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your
> country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."  It does not
> matter that these powerful words were said by a democrat who was an
> American, but by an American who happened to be a democrat. True Americans
> are they who speak such a sound message of individual liberty and freedom,
> either to fail or to succeed. Are we then supposed to give up every freedom
> that we have in a feckless attempt to give every man and woman success?  We
> know that in every society from the beginning of time there will always be
> those that will not choose to better themselves or who will try to live off
> the benevolence of others.  But we also know that the majority of Americans
> are willing to fight and stand against every trial thrown at us, stare back
> at it, and push forward. That is just what we do and what we have always
> done.  But now we live in a day wherein our own president is throwing
> apologies around as if the ideals we have lived and died for, that have
> defined us as Americans, were somehow wrong.
>
>             To opt for a watered down imitation democracy that denies the
> basic principles our nation was founded on is to become a weak and
> ineffective society that is doomed for extinction.
>
>             You may ask what you can do.
>
>             Continue striving to better yourself and your family. Look to
> provide for the future and set goals that are attainable through times of
> ups and downs, but mainly through good old fashioned work. Do it more boldly
> and enthusiastically so that your fellow man can see and be encouraged by
> your efforts.  If America is to be the proud nation the generations that
> came before us built, we must be involved in changing the destructive course
> that this country is on. Please partner with me in what we call "Getting
> Back to Basics."  It sounds simple because it is.  Below I have laid out
> several things you can do that will help get this country back on track.
>
>
>             Read the Constitution of the United States of America.
>             Strengthen and emphasize your family and their successes now and
> in the future.
>             Get involved in your local area. Church, community club,
> political party, etc...
>             Learn who represents you in every level of government --
> community, city, county, state, and federal. Know their names and where
> their offices are. Know their contact information and their voting record.
>             Find out what these representatives are doing in relation to #1.
>             Get involved in your voting precinct because that is where you
> will have the biggest impact.
>             Offer yourself for public office.  If you don't the other side
> surely will.
>
>
>             In recent days we have learned the President Obama is planning
> to address our children at school through a broadcast in an effort to
> encourage them to write letters to themselves asking what can they do for
> their country.
>
>             At first they were to be asked to write about how they could
> "help" President Obama.  After much criticism from outraged Americans who
> thought the wording suggested the President was asking our children to serve
> his agenda, the White House announced the President would ask children to
> write about their educational goals. In my opinion the outrage was
> justified.  Since the beginning of this great country we have never wanted
> or desired to be ruled by a king or dictator, but that is exactly what some
> people in this country apparently want.  I for one am appalled that one
> would be so na?ve as to believe that this county will throw out our
> country's founding documents and replace them with a ruler that we are to
> serve. Our government, carefully crafted on the framework of the
> Constitution, was intended to serve the people, not the other way around.
>
>             President Kennedy's historic address to the nation encouraging
> us to ask what we could do for our country is timely and critical for these
> times.  What are we going to do for ourselves and this country?  What are
> you going to do for yourself, your family and your future?
>
>             My fellow Americans, it is now time that we "Get back to the
> Basics."  Now is the time that we stand together and tell every branch of
> government, no matter how minute they are, that we are watching and
> listening and that they are on notice.  If our elected officials keep moving
> away from the Constitution, then we will replace them.
>
>             I leave you with one more of President Kennedy's remarks that is
> true to this day:  "the rights of man come not from the generosity of the
> state, but from the hand of God."  If only we could get his party to believe
> this now.
>
>             Sincerely,
>
>             Patrick Haddon, Chairman
>             Greenville County Republican Party
>             1st Vice Chairman, SCGOP
>
>
>
>
>
>


From bill at effros.com  Mon Sep  7 10:05:07 2009
From: bill at effros.com (Bill Effros)
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:05:07 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Rogers on Health Care
Message-ID: <4AA51313.2060608@effros.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 10:27:22 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 09:27:22 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Rogers on Health Care
In-Reply-To: <4AA51313.2060608@effros.com>
References: <4AA51313.2060608@effros.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909070727s1a8820bej28ad73b1312647e9@mail.gmail.com>

Bill,

Here's one simple thing we can do right away - pass a tort reform
bill.  Both Nebraska and Texas have done so and the results were
immediate and positive.  Here's why it isn't happening -

http://tinyurl.com/lg88lt

Here's another simple and easy thing we can do - open health insurance
to competition across state lines and let small businesses pool their
employees in co-ops. My health insurance claims are paid directly out
of my employer's earnings, but the paperwork and eligibility of
benefits is handled by Blue Cross of Tennessee.  If I lived in
California, it would be Blue Cross of California.  This is ridiculous,
the money all comes from the same pot.

Simple, easy, effective, immediate.  There's a number of things we can
do that pass that simple test.  So why aren't we doing them?

Brad

On 9/7/09, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
>

From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 13:10:43 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 12:10:43 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Trebuchet
Message-ID: <400985d70909071010h5b001b2eia336c0c60edf3eb@mail.gmail.com>

Just 'mousing' around the net today in between study sessions and one
of my favorite bloggers posted this video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOsc5pJMJgY

Sometime around 1991 I was dead-heading between London and Brussels
reading the Wall Street Journal and started laughing so hard the
flight attendant asked me what was so funny.  This was the article I
was reading at the time -

http://www.geocities.com/europa_aust/articles/trebuchet.html

That's still one of my all time favorite WSJ articles and the video
today reminded me of it - fortunately I was able to find it on the
net.

Brad

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 14:54:28 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 13:54:28 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Rogers on Health Care
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909070727s1a8820bej28ad73b1312647e9@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4AA51313.2060608@effros.com>
	<400985d70909070727s1a8820bej28ad73b1312647e9@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909071154q4f624be1o607ecc6cd816b699@mail.gmail.com>

Bill, Brad,

Yep, all that and let's not leave out making health insurance a deductible
expense for everybody, not just employers.

I am also in favor of higher deductible health plans with HSAs to pay the
initial costs up to those deductibles.

This would be some change we can believe in!!

Rik

On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 9:27 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Bill,
>
> Here's one simple thing we can do right away - pass a tort reform
> bill.  Both Nebraska and Texas have done so and the results were
> immediate and positive.  Here's why it isn't happening -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/lg88lt
>
> Here's another simple and easy thing we can do - open health insurance
> to competition across state lines and let small businesses pool their
> employees in co-ops. My health insurance claims are paid directly out
> of my employer's earnings, but the paperwork and eligibility of
> benefits is handled by Blue Cross of Tennessee.  If I lived in
> California, it would be Blue Cross of California.  This is ridiculous,
> the money all comes from the same pot.
>
> Simple, easy, effective, immediate.  There's a number of things we can
> do that pass that simple test.  So why aren't we doing them?
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/7/09, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
> >
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 15:15:09 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 14:15:09 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Rogers on Health Care
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909071154q4f624be1o607ecc6cd816b699@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4AA51313.2060608@effros.com>
	<400985d70909070727s1a8820bej28ad73b1312647e9@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909071154q4f624be1o607ecc6cd816b699@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909071215i2a784224k635e188aa1231171@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Everytime I hear Dear Leader talk about obscene profits from health
insurance companies I want to throw something at the screen (but don't
since our old TV finally died and we bought a new wide-screen).
Here's the numbers -

http://tinyurl.com/nbrtcy

In the case of my personal coverage, the payments come directly from
my employer, the "insurance company" only handles the administration.
Now who's willing to bet that the federal gooberment can lower costs
paperwork processing costs over private industry?

This is what people don't get - insurance companies DO NOT provide
health-care.  Doctors and hospitals provide health-care.  Insurance
companies RATION health care. Who in their right mind thinks the feds
can save the 3.3% profit those companies make and provide universal
health care?

Brad

On 9/7/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Bill, Brad,
>
> Yep, all that and let's not leave out making health insurance a deductible
> expense for everybody, not just employers.
>
> I am also in favor of higher deductible health plans with HSAs to pay the
> initial costs up to those deductibles.
>
> This would be some change we can believe in!!
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 9:27 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Bill,
>>
>> Here's one simple thing we can do right away - pass a tort reform
>> bill.  Both Nebraska and Texas have done so and the results were
>> immediate and positive.  Here's why it isn't happening -
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/lg88lt
>>
>> Here's another simple and easy thing we can do - open health insurance
>> to competition across state lines and let small businesses pool their
>> employees in co-ops. My health insurance claims are paid directly out
>> of my employer's earnings, but the paperwork and eligibility of
>> benefits is handled by Blue Cross of Tennessee.  If I lived in
>> California, it would be Blue Cross of California.  This is ridiculous,
>> the money all comes from the same pot.
>>
>> Simple, easy, effective, immediate.  There's a number of things we can
>> do that pass that simple test.  So why aren't we doing them?
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/7/09, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 16:05:34 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 15:05:34 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Rogers on Health Care
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909071215i2a784224k635e188aa1231171@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4AA51313.2060608@effros.com>
	<400985d70909070727s1a8820bej28ad73b1312647e9@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909071154q4f624be1o607ecc6cd816b699@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909071215i2a784224k635e188aa1231171@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909071305wffdb025o7356b78e68936b83@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Exactly!

And, isn't it interesting that Obama's battle cry has morphed from health
care reform to health insurance reform.

Myself, I can see no reform in any of this, just cost shifting.

But it all sure appeals to the takers who are sure they're going to get
something for nothing. Mostly the same people who elected him in the first
place. I think the tables are starting to turn on him though. People who may
have been bedazzled for a bit are slowly coming to realize the there is no
Obamatopia....  and never will be.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 2:15 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> Everytime I hear Dear Leader talk about obscene profits from health
> insurance companies I want to throw something at the screen (but don't
> since our old TV finally died and we bought a new wide-screen).
> Here's the numbers -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/nbrtcy
>
> In the case of my personal coverage, the payments come directly from
> my employer, the "insurance company" only handles the administration.
> Now who's willing to bet that the federal gooberment can lower costs
> paperwork processing costs over private industry?
>
> This is what people don't get - insurance companies DO NOT provide
> health-care.  Doctors and hospitals provide health-care.  Insurance
> companies RATION health care. Who in their right mind thinks the feds
> can save the 3.3% profit those companies make and provide universal
> health care?
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/7/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Bill, Brad,
> >
> > Yep, all that and let's not leave out making health insurance a
> deductible
> > expense for everybody, not just employers.
> >
> > I am also in favor of higher deductible health plans with HSAs to pay the
> > initial costs up to those deductibles.
> >
> > This would be some change we can believe in!!
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 9:27 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Bill,
> >>
> >> Here's one simple thing we can do right away - pass a tort reform
> >> bill.  Both Nebraska and Texas have done so and the results were
> >> immediate and positive.  Here's why it isn't happening -
> >>
> >> http://tinyurl.com/lg88lt
> >>
> >> Here's another simple and easy thing we can do - open health insurance
> >> to competition across state lines and let small businesses pool their
> >> employees in co-ops. My health insurance claims are paid directly out
> >> of my employer's earnings, but the paperwork and eligibility of
> >> benefits is handled by Blue Cross of Tennessee.  If I lived in
> >> California, it would be Blue Cross of California.  This is ridiculous,
> >> the money all comes from the same pot.
> >>
> >> Simple, easy, effective, immediate.  There's a number of things we can
> >> do that pass that simple test.  So why aren't we doing them?
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> On 9/7/09, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
> >> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded
> >> >
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep  7 16:54:51 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 15:54:51 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] President's School Speech
Message-ID: <400985d70909071354i5a0f56an14c6dc246183798d@mail.gmail.com>

Here's a quick-n-dirty synopsis of Obama's "school speech" -

    * 56 iterations of ?I?
    * 19 iterations of ?school?
    * 10 iterations of ?education?
    * 8 iterations of ?responsibility?
    * 7 iterations of ?country?
    * 5 iterations each of ?parents?, ?teachers?
    * 3 iterations of ?nation?

In other words, Barack Obama referenced himself more than school,
education, responsibility, country/nation, parents, and teachers
combined.  And to think that people accused Obama of self-promotion!
(credit to HotAir)

I read through the speech and it is OK, in fact, it's fine now that
The One dropped the assignments and workbooks to "help the President"
(under political pressure).  The school speech posted below is much
better.

Brad

--------------

November 14, 1988



The President. You know, this is a real treat for me -- having you
here and to have, in a little while, the chance to answer some of your
questions. Let me also offer a special hello to those of you who are
watching on C-SPAN and -- or the Instructional Television Network.
Thank you for inviting us into your home or your school today.



This marks the beginning of American Education Week, and I'm
particularly pleased to be talking to American students in this, the
first in a series of speeches that I'll be giving before I leave
office. But before we begin here, I have a special message from my
roommate. She says to please -- for your families, for your friends,
for your country, and most of all for yourselves -- just say no to
drugs.



Now, last week the United States did something so exceptional that
people around the world marveled at it. Last week the American people
freely elected our government. Some ballots were cast by people who
were rich and famous, and others were cast by most ordinary people,
but each person had the same, one vote. These ballots were cast in
secret, and they were counted in the open, not the other way around.
And when the votes were totaled, those holding or seeking the highest
positions in the land all surrendered to the will of the people. Soon,
power will be peacefully transferred from those leaving office to
those taking office. And, yes, we do this every election year, and
that's what so much of the world marvels at. What we in America take
for granted is something that's rare in history and all too remarkable
on this globe, the Earth.



The United States is the world's oldest democratic government. And at
my age, when I tell you something is the oldest in the world, you can
take my word for it; I'm probably talking from personal experience.
And it's not just that our government is the oldest of its kind, but
that it's based on the world's most revolutionary political idea. You
can see that concept in the very first line of our Constitution, and
it begins with three simple words: ``We the People.'' In other
countries, in their constitutions -- they all have constitutions, and
I've read a great many of them, those other ones -- and the difference
is so small, but it's found in those three words. Because their
constitutions are documents by the Governments telling the people what
they can do. And in our country, our Constitution is by the people,
and it tells the Government what it can do. And only those things
listed in the Constitution, and nothing else, can Government do. So,
in America, it is the people who are in charge. And one day you'll be
those people out there voting and creating the Government.



That vision of self-government was the basis for the American
Revolution, the first revolution of its kind and one of the most
important historic events not just for our own nation but for all
humanity. Because most revolutions have always just been a case of
replacing one set of rulers for another set of rulers. Ours was that
kind of a constitution where, for the first time, it was announced --
what I've told you before already -- that the people were in charge of
the Government, not the other way around.



Now, the Revolution may seem like something they say happened a long
time ago -- to me 200 years seems just like yesterday -- but I think
it'll prove to be America's most important guidepost for the future. I
believe that the chief moral task for America in your generation -- a
period destined for great change -- will be not so much to chart a new
course or launch a new revolution, but to keep faith with the original
American Revolution and that remarkable vision of freedom that has
brought us two centuries of liberty and is still today transforming
the world.



Over these 200 years, country after country has followed our path, and
I believe that ultimately all nations will do so. It's no exaggeration
to say that the political vision of our Founding Fathers has become
the model for the world. This is true not just in the many countries
that have turned from despotism to democracy these last years, it's
also true even where it's least apparent. It's remarkable to realize
that in this century even brutal totalitarian dictatorships kneel at
the feet of our Founding Fathers when they try to counterfeit the
practices and institutions of democracy in order to claim legitimacy
for their ruling their people. Dictators today from Afghanistan to
Nicaragua do not want to be called Czar or Commissar; they want to be
called Mr. President and to pretend that they rule in the people's
name, even if they don't. Yes, even Communist dictators holding power
through force, against the will of the people, acknowledge the triumph
of the American idea when they go through the motions of holding phony
elections, forming rubberstamp legislatures to ratify constitutions
that will not be honored, and then using our words to call their
regimes democracies or republics.



As a wise Frenchman one wrote: ``Hypocrisy is the homage that vice
pays to virtue.'' But when dictators, even in this fraudulent way,
acknowledge the basic truth that the right to rule comes from the
consent of the governed, the door to freedom begins to crack open, and
it can't very easily be closed again. John Adams said that long before
the opening shots of America's war for independence -- he was one of
our Founding Fathers, as you know -- our revolution had already
occurred ``in the hearts and minds of the people.'' And today from
Asia to Africa to Latin America and behind the Iron Curtain, the world
is in the midst of a democratic revolution that was foretold by the
creation of the United States.



>From the beginning, the American vision was that our country would be
the cradle of freedom for all mankind. Two hundred and thirteen years
ago, in Philadelphia, James Allen wrote in this diary that: ``If we
fail, liberty no longer continues an inhabitant of this globe.'' But
our Founding Fathers didn't fail. And now it's our duty to bring the
values of the American Revolution to all the peoples of the world, and
this is happening. Today, to a degree never before seen in human
history, one nation, the United States, has become the model to be
followed and imitated by the rest of the world.



But America's world leadership goes well beyond the tide toward
democracy. We also find that more countries than ever before are
following America's revolutionary economic message of free enterprise,
low taxes, and open world trade. These days, whenever I see foreign
leaders, they tell me about their plans for reducing taxes and other
economic reforms that they're using, copying what we have done here in
our country. I wonder if they realize that this vision of economic
freedom -- the freedom to work, to create and produce, to own and use
property without the interference of the state -- was central to the
American Revolution when the American colonists rebelled against a
whole web of economic restrictions, taxes, and barriers to free trade.
The message at the Boston Tea Party -- have you studied yet in history
about the Boston Tea Party, where, because of a tax, they went down
and dumped the tea in the harbor? Well, that was America's original
tax revolt. And it was the fruits of our labor -- belonged to us, and
not to the state. And that truth is fundamental to both liberty and
prosperity.



But beyond politics and economics, we find that American culture has
also spread around the world. Whether it's young people in Europe or
Africa going to an Eddie Murphy movie or Japanese children visiting
Mickey Mouse at the new Disneyland in Tokyo or the international jazz
festivals or the American soft drinks and rock music and blue jeans
that are the choice of young people from Berlin to Beijing, from
Managua to Moscow, the fact is that an entire planet is watching and
following us.



The same thing is true with science and technology. We lead the world
in Nobel Prizes for science, and virtually all of the most important
developments in computers, communications, and biotechnology have been
made in the United States. And I can't be the only one who's noticed
that the Soviet space shuttle that's supposed to go up at 10 p.m.
tonight now -- if they can get it off -- it looks very familiar, an
awful lot like ours. Other countries may try to copy what we do, but
as the rate of progress accelerates, our leadership will become even
greater. And these are the technologies that in your lifetime will
change the way people all over the world live and change things for
the better.



You know, I've seen remarkable technological change in my lifetime.
Maybe I'm just going to date myself as belonging back with the
dinosaurs or something when I tell you this, but just think, I can
still remember my first ride in an automobile. Before cars, we went by
horse and buggy. The horse was very fuel-efficient but kind of slow.
And if you wanted to supercharge one, you fed him an extra bag of
oats. But in pursuing your education, there is one thing I would like
to pass along to you. We should always remember that there are the
things that change and the things that don't change. The machines will
change -- the horse and buggy to the automobile and so forth -- but
the people don't. The permanent truths which give meaning to our lives
don't change; they are, as I say, permanent. The basic values of faith
and family will be just as true when people are living on distant
planets as they are today. So, for America to gain greatest benefit
from all the exciting new technologies that lie ahead, we will also
need to reaffirm our traditional moral values, because these values
are the foundation on which everything we do is built. So, yes, I
would encourage you to study the math and science that are at the
basis of the new technologies. But in a world of change you also need
to pay attention to the moral and spiritual values that will stay with
you, unchanged, throughout a long lifetime.



And, again, I would say that the most important thing you can do is to
ground yourself in the ideas and values of the American Revolution.
And that is a vision that goes beyond economics and politics. It's
also a moral vision, grounded in the reverence and faith of those who
believed that with God's help they could create a free and democratic
nation. They designed a system of limited government that, in John
Adams' words, was suited only to a religious people such as ours. Our
Founding Fathers were the descendents of the Pilgrims -- men and women
who came to America seeking freedom of worship -- who prospered here
and offered a prayer of thanksgiving, something we've continued to do
each year, and so that we'll do it again on Thursday of next week.



By renewing our commitment to the original values of the American
Revolution and to the principles of ``We the People,'' we can best
preserve our liberty and expand the progress of freedom in the world,
which is the purpose for which America was founded. Here, on a
continent nestled between two oceans, our country is unique in the
world. We have drawn our people from virtually every other nation on
Earth, and what we've created here as Americans has touched every
corner of the globe.



Here in the White House there's a famous painting of the signing of
the Declaration of Independence. And it shows many of the great men of
that time assembled in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. But when you
look closely at the painting, you see that some of the figures in the
hall are just outlines, waiting to be filled in, the faces have not
yet been drawn. You see, this great painting isn't finished. But what
the people who gathered in Philadelphia two centuries ago set out to
do is not yet finished, either. And that, I suppose, is why the
painting is the way it is. America is not yet complete, and it's up to
each one of us to help complete it. And each one of you can place
yourself in that painting. You can become one of the those immortal
figures by helping to build and renew America.



And we're entering one of the most exciting times in history, a time
of unlimited possibilities, bounded only by the size of your
imagination, the depth of your heart, and the character of your
courage. More than two centuries of American history -- the
contributions of the millions of people who have come before us have
been given to us as our birthright. All we can do to earn what we've
received is to dream large dreams, to live lives of kindness, and to
keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of
America.



Now it's time for me to ask you for your questions, but first I'd like
to ask you one: What are some of the things that you're proudest of
and some of the things that are best about America? And maybe I can
just take a couple of comments if someone has a comment to make.



Yes?


From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep  7 18:34:07 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 18:34:07 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Jesus and the Democrat
Message-ID: <1F77A2E98E1843FDB2674C00B34A556C@YOURB88038198E>

Jesus and the Democrat

        A Republican in a wheelchair entered a restaurant one afternoon and 
asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. The Republican looked across the 
restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus sitting over there?" The waitress 
nodded "yes," so the Republican requested that she give Jesus a cup of 
coffee, on him..


        The next patron to come in was a Libertarian with a hunched back. He

shuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down, and asked the waitress for a 
cup of hot tea. He also glanced across the restaurant and asked, "Is that 
Jesus o ver there?" The waitress nodded, so the Libertarian asked her to 
give Jesus a cup of hot tea, "My treat."


        The third patron to come into the restaurant was a Democrat on 
crutches.  He hobbled over to a booth, sat down and hollered, "Hey there, 
honey! How's about gettin' me a cold glass of Miller Light?" He, too, looked

across the restaurant and asked, "Is that God's boy over there?" The 
waitress once more nodded, so the Democrat directed her to give Jesus a cold

glass of beer. "On my bill," he said.


          As Jesus got up to leave, he passed by the Republican, touched him

and said, "For your kindness, you are healed." The Republican felt the 
strength come back into his legs, got up, and danced a jig out the door.


          Jesus also passed by the Libertarian, touched him and said, "For 
your kindness, you are healed." The Libertarian felt his back straightening 
up, and he raised his hands, praised the Lord and did a series of back flips

out the door.


           Then Jesus walked towards the Democrat.


           But the Democrat jumped up and yelled, "Don't touch me... I'm 
collecting disability."

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From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep  7 18:36:27 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 18:36:27 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Coyote Population
Message-ID: <DF8D1892179545D085C69892768286DB@YOURB88038198E>

 
Coyote Population
 
 
 The Alberta Government and the Alberta Forest Service were
 presenting an alternative to Alberta ranchers for controlling the
 coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the
 tried and true methods of shooting and/or trapping the predators, the
 tree-huggers had a 'more humane' solution.


 
 What they proposed was for the animals to be captured alive, the males
 would then be castrated and let loose again. Therefore the population
 would be controlled. This was ACTUALLY proposed to the Alberta
 Ranching Association and Farming Association by the Alberta
 Government and the Alberta Forest Service.
 


All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of
 minutes. Finally, one of the old boys in the back of the conference
 room stood up, tipped his hat back and said, 'Son, I don't think you
 understand our problem.
 
 

Those coyotes ain't screwin' our sheep.....they're eatin' 'em!'
 
 

You should have been there to hear the roar of laughter!


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From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep  8 06:54:04 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 05:54:04 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Perfectly Mainstream
Message-ID: <400985d70909080354m56599c5ekaf9ec95c6249475a@mail.gmail.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHk-dxPswe8&feature=player_embedded

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Tue Sep  8 17:45:23 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 16:45:23 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Castro is declared a hero???
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909081445wa756f46rf1bf5323762d40c1@mail.gmail.com>

Good afternoon All,

Is it time for us to tell the U.N. that it should find somewhere else to
rent??? Maybe Cuba would be a good place. I hear the weather's nice.

Rik
______________
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/05/u-n-declares-castro-a-world-hero-of-social-justice/
U.N. declares Castro a ?World Hero of Solidarity? By Michelle
Malkin  ?  September 5, 2009 01:33 PM

Yes, it?s true.

The United Nations has declared misery-inducing, freedom-strangling Cuban
dictator Fidel Castro a ?World Hero of Solidarity.?
 <http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=342574&CategoryId=14919>

Via David Kopel at Volokh Conspiracy<http://volokh.com/posts/1251864128.shtml>,
h/t Hans Bader at
OpenMarket.org<http://www.openmarket.org/2009/09/04/un-declares-dictator-fidel-castro-world-hero-of-solidarity/>,
who writes:

The award was presented to Castro by the President of the UN General
Assembly, Miguel D?Escoto Brockmann. Brockmann also successfully lobbied the
Obama Administration to demand that Honduras allow the return to power of
its ex-president and would-be dictator, Manuel Zelaya. (Two months ago,
soldiers acting on orders of Honduras?s Supreme Court arrested Zelaya after
he systematically abused his powers. After the Court quite legally declared
that Zelaya was no longer president, he was duly replaced by Honduras?s
Congress with a civilian, the Congressional Speaker). The Obama
Administration recently decided to impose sanctions on Honduras, and
indicated it will not recognize future democratic elections in Honduras
unless Honduras first lets ex-president Zelaya return to power.

Marxism seems to be back in fashion in Washington these days.

Rep. Diane Watson<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/28/race-baiter-democrat-rep-diane-watson-praises-cuban-health-system-castro-guevara-who-kicked-out-the-wealthy/>,
the New York Times book review
section<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/20/conservative-books-on-top-but-nyt-concludes-marx-is-back-in-vogue/>,
and Van Jones and Valerie
Jarrett<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/03/van-jones-valerie-jarrett-barack-obama-do-it-yourself-vetting/>approve!


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep  9 00:58:53 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 23:58:53 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Sowell can see through it as usual
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909082158i3c065215n7434da4dab0b2dcb@mail.gmail.com>

Good evening All,

Surfing tonight, found this by Thomas Sowell. Perhaps we should all be
fowarding it to our congress people.

Sowell nails it, as usual.

Rik

_________________________
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell090809.php3


Jewish World Review <http://www.jewishworldreview.com/> Sept. 8, 2009 19
Elul 5769

* Listening to a Liar *

By Thomas Sowell







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 *http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |* The most important thing about what
anyone says are not the words themselves but the credibility of the person
who says them.

The words of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff were apparently quite
convincing to many people who were regarded as knowledgeable and
sophisticated. If you go by words, you can be led into anything.

No doubt millions of people will be listening to the words of President
Barack Obama Wednesday night when he makes a televised address to a joint
session of Congress on his medical care plans. But, if they think that the
words he says are what matters, they can be led into something much worse
than being swindled out of their money.

One plain fact should outweigh all the words of Barack Obama and all the
impressive trappings of the setting in which he says them: He tried to rush
Congress into passing a massive government takeover of the nation's medical
care before the August recess? for a program that would not take effect
until 2013!

Whatever President Obama is, he is not stupid. If the urgency to pass the
medical care legislation was to deal with a problem immediately, then why
postpone the date when the legislation goes into effect for years? more
specifically, until the year after the next Presidential election?



*FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER*

*Every weekday NewsAndOpinion.com publishes what many in the media and
Washington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists
regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click
here.<http://www.jewishworldreview.com/subs.php>
** *

If this is such an urgently needed program, why wait for years to put it
into effect? And if the public is going to benefit from this, why not let
them experience those benefits before the next Presidential election?

If it is not urgent that the legislation goes into effect immediately, then
why don't we have time to go through the normal process of holding
Congressional hearings on the pros and cons, accompanied by public
discussions of its innumerable provisions? What sense does it make to "hurry
up and wait" on something that is literally a matter of life and death?

If we do not believe that the President is stupid, then what do we believe?
The only reasonable alternative seems to be that he wanted to get this
massive government takeover of medical care passed into law before the
public understood what was in it.

Moreover, he wanted to get re-elected in 2012 before the public experienced
what its actual consequences would be.

Unfortunately, this way of doing things is all too typical of the way this
administration has acted on a wide range of issues.

Consider the "stimulus" legislation. Here the administration was successful
in rushing a massive spending bill through Congress in just two days? after
which it sat on the President's desk for three days, while he was away on
vacation. But, like the medical care legislation, the "stimulus" legislation
takes effect slowly.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will be September 2010
before even three-quarters of the money will be spent. Some economists
expect that it will not all be spent by the end of 2010.

What was the rush to pass it, then? It was not to get that money out into
the economy as fast as possible. It was to get that money? and the power
that goes with it? into the hands of the government. Power is what politics
is all about.

The worst thing that could happen, from the standpoint of those seeking more
government power over the economy, would be for the economy to begin
recovering on its own while months were being spent debating the need for a
"stimulus" bill. As the President's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said, you
can't let a crisis "go to waste" when "it's an opportunity to do things you
could not do before."

There are lots of people in the Obama administration who want to do things
that have not been done before? and to do them before the public realizes
what is happening.

The proliferation of White House "czars" in charge of everything from
financial issues to media issues is more of the same circumvention of the
public and of the Constitution. Czars don't have to be confirmed by the
Senate, the way Cabinet members must be, even though czars may wield more
power, so you may never know what these people are like, until it is too
late.

What Barack Obama says Wednesday night is not nearly as important as what he
has been doing? and how he has been doing it.


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep  9 08:43:49 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 07:43:49 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Sowell can see through it as usual
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909082158i3c065215n7434da4dab0b2dcb@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909082158i3c065215n7434da4dab0b2dcb@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909090543nb632756n1c6c293612742b88@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

It is entirely reasonable for Dr. Sowell to use Bernie Madoff as a
poster child for universal healthcare. In reality, Medicare is already
one giant Ponzi scheme. You pay Medicare taxes all your working life
with the hope that when you need the benefits there will be enough new
"suckers" forced into the system to fund your benefits.  One exception
to this is UAW workers who retire from a health-care system that also
happens to produce cars such as GM.  The big lie is that the "public
option" won't force out private insurance (you can keep your own
doctor, yada, yada, yada).  Again, using myself as the example, I have
gold-plated health insurance as long as I'm working.  Once I retire
the coverage is Medicare.  We could make post-retirement health care
the centerpiece of our next contract negotiations (starting next year)
but we'd give up a huge slice of the pie currently dedicated to
compensation to do so.  GM provided both high wages AND long-term
health benefits and we know how that ended.  Most companies can't
depend on the POTUS for a bailout. Small companies will drop whatever
health care benefits they provide like a hot potato when a public
option becomes available.  Obama & Company knows this and if they can
just get their foot in the door, there will be no private insurance in
less than 20 years.  They are on record as saying so.  These statists
are counting on the American people being naive, stupid, or lacking a
sufficient attention span. Unfortunately, that's not a bad bet these
days.  That is how this racist, Marxist President got elected in the
first place.

Brad

On 9/8/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Good evening All,
>
> Surfing tonight, found this by Thomas Sowell. Perhaps we should all be
> fowarding it to our congress people.
>
> Sowell nails it, as usual.
>
> Rik
>
> _________________________
> http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell090809.php3
>
>
> Jewish World Review <http://www.jewishworldreview.com/> Sept. 8, 2009 19
> Elul 5769
>
> * Listening to a Liar *
>
> By Thomas Sowell
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [image: Printer Friendly
> Version]<http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell090809.php3?printer_friendly>
> [image:
> Email this
> article]<http://www.jewishworldreview.com/templates/email2.php?article_title=+Listening+to+a+Liar+&article_author=Thomas+Sowell++&article_date=Sept.+8%2C+2009&article_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jewishworldreview.com%2Fcols%2Fsowell090809.php3&sent=false&ccMe=no>
> [image: Share and bookmark this
> article]<http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=bljolkov>
>
>
>
>  *http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |* The most important thing about what
> anyone says are not the words themselves but the credibility of the person
> who says them.
>
> The words of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff were apparently quite
> convincing to many people who were regarded as knowledgeable and
> sophisticated. If you go by words, you can be led into anything.
>
> No doubt millions of people will be listening to the words of President
> Barack Obama Wednesday night when he makes a televised address to a joint
> session of Congress on his medical care plans. But, if they think that the
> words he says are what matters, they can be led into something much worse
> than being swindled out of their money.
>
> One plain fact should outweigh all the words of Barack Obama and all the
> impressive trappings of the setting in which he says them: He tried to rush
> Congress into passing a massive government takeover of the nation's medical
> care before the August recess? for a program that would not take effect
> until 2013!
>
> Whatever President Obama is, he is not stupid. If the urgency to pass the
> medical care legislation was to deal with a problem immediately, then why
> postpone the date when the legislation goes into effect for years? more
> specifically, until the year after the next Presidential election?
>
>
>
> *FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER*
>
> *Every weekday NewsAndOpinion.com publishes what many in the media and
> Washington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists
> regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click
> here.<http://www.jewishworldreview.com/subs.php>
> ** *
>
> If this is such an urgently needed program, why wait for years to put it
> into effect? And if the public is going to benefit from this, why not let
> them experience those benefits before the next Presidential election?
>
> If it is not urgent that the legislation goes into effect immediately, then
> why don't we have time to go through the normal process of holding
> Congressional hearings on the pros and cons, accompanied by public
> discussions of its innumerable provisions? What sense does it make to "hurry
> up and wait" on something that is literally a matter of life and death?
>
> If we do not believe that the President is stupid, then what do we believe?
> The only reasonable alternative seems to be that he wanted to get this
> massive government takeover of medical care passed into law before the
> public understood what was in it.
>
> Moreover, he wanted to get re-elected in 2012 before the public experienced
> what its actual consequences would be.
>
> Unfortunately, this way of doing things is all too typical of the way this
> administration has acted on a wide range of issues.
>
> Consider the "stimulus" legislation. Here the administration was successful
> in rushing a massive spending bill through Congress in just two days? after
> which it sat on the President's desk for three days, while he was away on
> vacation. But, like the medical care legislation, the "stimulus" legislation
> takes effect slowly.
>
> The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will be September 2010
> before even three-quarters of the money will be spent. Some economists
> expect that it will not all be spent by the end of 2010.
>
> What was the rush to pass it, then? It was not to get that money out into
> the economy as fast as possible. It was to get that money? and the power
> that goes with it? into the hands of the government. Power is what politics
> is all about.
>
> The worst thing that could happen, from the standpoint of those seeking more
> government power over the economy, would be for the economy to begin
> recovering on its own while months were being spent debating the need for a
> "stimulus" bill. As the President's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said, you
> can't let a crisis "go to waste" when "it's an opportunity to do things you
> could not do before."
>
> There are lots of people in the Obama administration who want to do things
> that have not been done before? and to do them before the public realizes
> what is happening.
>
> The proliferation of White House "czars" in charge of everything from
> financial issues to media issues is more of the same circumvention of the
> public and of the Constitution. Czars don't have to be confirmed by the
> Senate, the way Cabinet members must be, even though czars may wield more
> power, so you may never know what these people are like, until it is too
> late.
>
> What Barack Obama says Wednesday night is not nearly as important as what he
> has been doing? and how he has been doing it.
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep  9 12:30:13 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 11:30:13 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Burton (IN) on Van Jones
Message-ID: <400985d70909090930p521f094q3ee197f9de0fe873@mail.gmail.com>

http://tinyurl.com/l85qz9

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep  9 13:11:21 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:11:21 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Burton (IN) on Van Jones
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909090930p521f094q3ee197f9de0fe873@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909090930p521f094q3ee197f9de0fe873@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909091011v6ec5690eo73bedde2cb6d8227@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

I just wrote my congressman yesterday, urging him to support HR 3226, the
czar accountability bill I believe it is called.

The President has been bypassing oversight by the congress for too long
already. This must be stopped, NOW!

There are many more, but here is one piece on this subject by Michele
Malkin.

Rik
______________________
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/08/out-commie-truther-green-jobs-czar-in-union-hack-manufacturing-czar/

Out: Commie Truther green jobs czar. In: Union hack ?manufacturing? czar By
Michelle Malkin  ?  September 8, 2009 09:16 AM

President Obama?s payoffs to Big Labor continue.

The union bosses got not one, but two, Cabinet appointees: Health and Human
Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

Former SEIU chief lobbyist and Soros-funded operative Patrick Gaspard is
White House Director of Political Affairs.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger serves on the President?s Economic
Recovery Advisory Board.

SEIU thug-in-chief Andy
Stern<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/05/13/big-labors-investment-in-obama-pays-off/>has
a seat at the table of every domestic policy initiative.

At the New York Federal Reserve, the AFL-CIO?s New York chief Dennis Hughes
<http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/08/24/hughes-named-chairman-of-new-york-federal-reserve/>is
now chairman, replacing Obama Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

AFL-CIO official Naomi Walker received a midnight lobbyist
waiver<http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/white-house-discloses-10-more-ethics-waivers-for-administration-officials.html>so
she can communicate with her union buddies in her new role as
Assistant
Deputy Secretary of Labor.

And to cap off Labor Day weekend, Obama named union heavy Ron Bloom ? who
cut his teeth at the foot of John Sweeney when he headed up the SEIU ? the
new ?manufacturing czar.?

Bloom will continue to double-dip
<http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/07/obama-manufacturing-adviser-labor-day-picnic/>the
government coffers as the Treasury Secretary?s car czar ? oh, excuse me,
?senior auto adviser.?

Like so many of the Czars of the Obama Underworld, Bloom will serve in
a completely
superfluous position<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/07/26/culture-of-corruption-czars-of-the-obama-underworld/>.
Why does America need a ?manufacturing? czar? Doesn?t the Department of
Labor cover that jurisdiction already?

No, Bloom has no actual, specialized experience in
manufacturing.<http://www.nrtw.org/en/blog/union-car-czar-poised-dictate-manufacturing-p08212009>

He does have a long track record of union hatchet
jobs<http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/A-czar-too-far-50674082.html>,
though/ J.P. Freire and David Freddoso at the Examiner note:

So far, the Obama administration?s ?bankruptcy negotiation? technique has
amounted to strong-arming and ruining the reputations of senior creditors
who resist being written out in favor of unions. With the choice of Bloom,
it is more obvious that the unions now sit on both sides of the negotiating
table. Unless, that is, you believe an administration that fires CEOs is not
really running the auto industry in which it owns a huge stake.

And they highlight a union philosophy quote from Bloom that would make Andy
?persuasion of power? Stern cackle:

?Let me give you some advice. First, we are big believers in dentist chair
bargaining. For those of you not familiar with this approach, it is inspired
by the story of the man who walks into his dentist?s office, grabs the
dentist by the balls and says, ?now, let?s not hurt each other.? We do have
a lot to lose and we and everybody else knows it. But what you need to
understand is that we are willing to lose it.?

? Prepared remarks for a speech to an International Association of
Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals conference in
Scottsdale, Ariz., May 21, 2006

Commenter Gabriel Sutherland at Tom Maguire?s Just One
Minute<http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/09/just-dont-call-him-a-czar.html?cid=6a00d83451b2aa69e20120a5538e99970b#comment-6a00d83451b2aa69e20120a5538e99970b>adds:

If the press travels to Steubenville, Ohio they could ask the laid off union
workers what they think of Ron Bloom?s acumen for ?saving union jobs?.

Bloom orchestrated the sale of Wheeling-Pitt to Esmark Inc.(shell holding
company). Esmark was acquired by OAO Severstal(Russian Oligarchs) soon
thereafter.

Ron Bloom is 10 times worse than Van Jones. Van never really created any
jobs, but he never really gave any away either. Ron Bloom explicitly sold
out union laborers under the guise he was saving more jobs than would have
been lost of Wheeling-Pitt was acquired by its initial courter, Companhia
Siderurgica Nacional(commonly known as Brazil CSN or the only steelmaker in
Brazil).

Bloom could accurately be described as the Andy Stern of old school
organized labor jobs. Not these unionized home health care workers that
Stern pads his SEIU rolls with, but actual unionized laborers in
manufacturing.

The elected heads of the Steelworkers back Ron Bloom. They have a personal
relationship with him. But if you go to the laid off steelworkers they?ll
tell you what is really going on.

PS: Stimulus funds for infrastructure had ?buy american? clauses in them
that were retracted. In their place was ?buy north american? clauses. Union
laborers have already found steel from Russia being used on projects funded
by the Stimulus.

Short short history of organized labor in the United States. The Unione
Siciliane was controlled by La Cosa Nostra as a hedge against Moscow and
their Communist apparatchiks. It?s post WWII Cold War gamesmanship. The
Communists from Eastern Europe have always been anarchist agitators
deliberately attempting to slow industrialization in the West. This is why
you?ll always find stories of G-Men going down for playing a fast and loose
game with their made men informants.

Here?s background on Bloom?s ?social justice?/Labor Zionist movement roots.
 <http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/19490/>
The White House has learned nothing from the Van Jones debacle.

Let?s hope the Republicans<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/04/sen-kit-bond-urges-congressional-hearing-on-mr-jones/>have.

Here?s Rep. Mike Pence calling for a suspension of all new czar
appointments.<http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2009/09/gop-rep-mike-pence-calls-for-suspension.html>

***

I have mentioned GOP Rep. Jack Kingston?s proposed bill to cut off all
federally approriated funds to czar
offices<http://michellemalkin.com/?s=kingston+czars>many times over
the summer. He was ahead of the curve.

There are currently 34 co-sponsors of the bill.
 <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-3226>

Where are your congressional reps?


On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 11:30 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> http://tinyurl.com/l85qz9
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Wed Sep  9 16:10:41 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 16:10:41 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Obama In The British Media
Message-ID: <5E1288FD31A943DC9AB68A01B4BA5803@YOURB88038198E>



   

        Obama in the British Media 

               
             

       




   

              If al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the rest of the Looney Tunes brigade want to kick America to death, they had better move in quickly and grab a piece of the action before Barack Obama finishes the job himself. Never in the history of the United States has a president worked so actively against the interests of his own people - not even Jimmy Carter.

              Obama's problem is that he does not know who the enemy is. To him, the enemy does not squat in caves in Waziristan, clutching automatic weapons and reciting the more militant verses from the Koran: instead, it sits around at tea parties in Kentucky quoting from the US Constitution. Obama is not at war with terrorists, but with his Republican fellow citizens. He has never abandoned the campaign trail. 

               

              That is why he opened Pandora's Box by publishing the Justice Department's legal opinions on waterboarding and other hardline interrogation techniques. He cynically subordinated the national interest to his partisan desire to embarrass the Republicans. Then he had to rush to Langley , Virginia to try to reassure a demoralised CIA that had just discovered the President of the United States was an even more formidable foe than al-Qaeda.

               

              "Don't be discouraged by what's happened the last few weeks," he told intelligence officers. Is he kidding? Thanks to him, al-Qaeda knows the private interrogation techniques available to the US intelligence agencies and can train its operatives to withstand them - or would do so, if they had not already been outlawed.

               

              So, next time a senior al-Qaeda hood is captured, all the CIA can do is ask him nicely if he would care to reveal when a major population centre is due to be hit by a terror spectacular, or which American city is about to be irradiated by a dirty bomb. Your view of this situation will be dictated by one simple criterion: whether or not you watched the people jumping from the twin towers...

               

              President Pantywaist's recent world tour, cozying up to all the bad guys, excited the ambitions of America's enemies. Here, they realised, is a sucker they can really take to the cleaners.

               

              His only enemies are fellow Americans.

               

              Which prompts the question: why does President Pantywaist hate America so badly?
             

       

   


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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep  9 17:58:06 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 16:58:06 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Obama In The British Media
In-Reply-To: <5E1288FD31A943DC9AB68A01B4BA5803@YOURB88038198E>
References: <5E1288FD31A943DC9AB68A01B4BA5803@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909091458v32e222cat10301e765e6f1033@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

I hadn't realized that there was anyone left in Britain capable of such
independent thought anymore.

Good on him.

Unfortunately, nobody will listen anyway.

Rik


On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 3:10 PM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>
>
>
>
>
> *Obama in the British Media*
>
>
>
>
>
>
> If al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the rest of the Looney Tunes brigade want to
> kick America to death, they had better move in quickly and grab a piece of
> the action before Barack Obama finishes the job himself. Never in the
> history of the United States has a president worked so actively against the
> interests of his own people - not even Jimmy Carter.
>
> Obama's problem is that he does not know who the enemy is*. To him, the
> enemy does not squat in caves in Waziristan, clutching automatic weapons and
> reciting the more militant verses from the Koran: instead, it sits around at
> tea parties in Kentucky quoting from the US Constitution*. Obama is not at
> war with terrorists, but with his Republican fellow citizens. He has never
> abandoned the campaign trail.
>
>
>
> That is why he opened Pandora's Box by publishing the Justice Department's
> legal opinions on waterboarding and other hardline interrogation techniques.
> He cynically subordinated the national interest to his partisan desire to
> embarrass the Republicans. Then he had to rush to Langley , Virginia to try
> to reassure a demoralised CIA that had just discovered the President of the
> United States was an even more formidable foe than al-Qaeda.
>
>
>
> "*Don't be discouraged by what's happened the last few weeks," he told
> intelligence officers. Is he kidding? Thanks to him, al-Qaeda knows the
> private interrogation techniques available to the US intelligence agencies
> and can train its operatives to withstand them* - or would do so, if they
> had not already been outlawed.
>
>
>
> So, next time a senior al-Qaeda hood is captured, all the CIA can do is ask
> him nicely if he would care to reveal when a major population centre is due
> to be hit by a terror spectacular, or which American city is about to be
> irradiated by a dirty bomb. Your view of this situation will be dictated by
> one simple criterion: whether or not you watched the people jumping from the
> twin towers...
>
>
>
> President Pantywaist's recent world tour, cozying up to all the bad guys,
> excited the ambitions of America's enemies. Here, they realised, is a sucker
> they can really take to the cleaners.
>
>
>
> *His only enemies are fellow Americans.***
>
>
>
> *Which prompts the question: why does President Pantywaist hate America so
> badly?*
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 10 10:45:43 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:45:43 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Housewife Drives POTUS Nuts!
Message-ID: <400985d70909100745h5b14b159y5815c28c1f9d411f@mail.gmail.com>

Fortunately, I was tied-up in the sim last night and didn't have to
endure the Obama-care speech. Having read snippets from the transcript
this morning and reading pundits analysis, is sounds like more of the
same.  As others have noted, including myself, why all the rush to get
something passed but not actually put in place until after the 2012
elections?  We've been down this road before, "we must pass this
stimulus bill immediately", and then the POTUS leaves on a 5-day
vacation and signs the bill at a ceremony in Denver.  Fool me once
.......

I find it amusing that the most powerful man in the world finds it
necessary to vilify an unemployed housewife from Alaska in a national
address.  She sure knows how to drive this guy batshit!

Brad

------------

>From Sarah Palin's Facebook page -

After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through
President Obama?s speech tonight: that increased government
involvement in health care can solve its problems.

Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from
long experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will
not provide us with ?more stability and security,? but just the
opposite. It's hard to believe the President when he says that this
time he and his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do
things right if only we?ll take them at their word.

Our objections to the Democrats? health care proposals are not mere
?bickering? or ?games.? They are not an attempt to ?score short term
political points.? And it?s hard to listen to the President lecture us
not to use ?scare tactics? when in the next breath he says that ?more
will die? if his proposals do not pass.

In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I?ve raised
about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions
affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns
?bogus,? ?irresponsible,? and ?a lie? -- so much for civility. After
all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the
arguments we?ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have
agreed have merit.

In fact, after promising to ?make sure that no government bureaucrat
.... gets between you and the health care you need,? the President
repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council -- an
unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with
containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that
such a group, working outside of ?normal political channels,? should
guide decisions regarding that ?huge driver of cost ... the
chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives....? He did
not disavow the statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel
Emanuel, and continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves
a commitment to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported
assertions, but until he directly responds to the arguments I?ve made,
I?m going to call him out too.

It was heartening to hear the President finally recognize that tort
reform is an important part of any solution. But this concession
shouldn?t lead us to take our eye off the ball: the Democrats?
proposals will not reduce costs, and they will not deliver better
health care. It?s this kind of ?healthy skepticism of government? that
truly reflects a ?concern and regard for the plight of others.? We
can?t wait to hear the details on that; we look forward to working
with you on tort reform.

Finally, President Obama delivered an offhand applause line tonight
about the cost of the War on Terror. As we approach the anniversary of
the September 11th attacks and honor those who died that day and those
who have died since in the War on Terror, in order to secure our
freedoms, we need to remember their sacrifices and not demonize them
as having had too high a price tag.

Remember, Mr. President, elected officials work for the people.
Forcing a conclusion in order to claim a ?victory? is not healthy for
our country. We hear you say government isn?t always the answer; now
hear us -- that?s what we?ve been saying all along.

- Sarah Palin


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Thu Sep 10 11:38:09 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:38:09 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Housewife Drives POTUS Nuts!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909100745h5b14b159y5815c28c1f9d411f@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909100745h5b14b159y5815c28c1f9d411f@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909100838u4f02a1aer2b688cd8452528fb@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

SARAH FOR PRESIDENT Can we have a redo on that last election?? Some of us
might be smart enough now to get it right this time.

Yeah, you didn't miss nothin'. Same exact thing he's been saying right
allong, except he threw in the tort reform bone.

Blah blah blah .......

Do you think we could pay him to move away??? 100 million to just leave
..... we'd be way money ahead!!

Rik

On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 9:45 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Fortunately, I was tied-up in the sim last night and didn't have to
> endure the Obama-care speech. Having read snippets from the transcript
> this morning and reading pundits analysis, is sounds like more of the
> same.  As others have noted, including myself, why all the rush to get
> something passed but not actually put in place until after the 2012
> elections?  We've been down this road before, "we must pass this
> stimulus bill immediately", and then the POTUS leaves on a 5-day
> vacation and signs the bill at a ceremony in Denver.  Fool me once
> .......
>
> I find it amusing that the most powerful man in the world finds it
> necessary to vilify an unemployed housewife from Alaska in a national
> address.  She sure knows how to drive this guy batshit!
>
> Brad
>
> ------------
>
> >From Sarah Palin's Facebook page -
>
> After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through
> President Obama?s speech tonight: that increased government
> involvement in health care can solve its problems.
>
> Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from
> long experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will
> not provide us with ?more stability and security,? but just the
> opposite. It's hard to believe the President when he says that this
> time he and his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do
> things right if only we?ll take them at their word.
>
> Our objections to the Democrats? health care proposals are not mere
> ?bickering? or ?games.? They are not an attempt to ?score short term
> political points.? And it?s hard to listen to the President lecture us
> not to use ?scare tactics? when in the next breath he says that ?more
> will die? if his proposals do not pass.
>
> In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I?ve raised
> about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions
> affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns
> ?bogus,? ?irresponsible,? and ?a lie? -- so much for civility. After
> all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the
> arguments we?ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have
> agreed have merit.
>
> In fact, after promising to ?make sure that no government bureaucrat
> .... gets between you and the health care you need,? the President
> repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council -- an
> unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with
> containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that
> such a group, working outside of ?normal political channels,? should
> guide decisions regarding that ?huge driver of cost ... the
> chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives....? He did
> not disavow the statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel
> Emanuel, and continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves
> a commitment to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported
> assertions, but until he directly responds to the arguments I?ve made,
> I?m going to call him out too.
>
> It was heartening to hear the President finally recognize that tort
> reform is an important part of any solution. But this concession
> shouldn?t lead us to take our eye off the ball: the Democrats?
> proposals will not reduce costs, and they will not deliver better
> health care. It?s this kind of ?healthy skepticism of government? that
> truly reflects a ?concern and regard for the plight of others.? We
> can?t wait to hear the details on that; we look forward to working
> with you on tort reform.
>
> Finally, President Obama delivered an offhand applause line tonight
> about the cost of the War on Terror. As we approach the anniversary of
> the September 11th attacks and honor those who died that day and those
> who have died since in the War on Terror, in order to secure our
> freedoms, we need to remember their sacrifices and not demonize them
> as having had too high a price tag.
>
> Remember, Mr. President, elected officials work for the people.
> Forcing a conclusion in order to claim a ?victory? is not healthy for
> our country. We hear you say government isn?t always the answer; now
> hear us -- that?s what we?ve been saying all along.
>
> - Sarah Palin
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 10 17:55:07 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:55:07 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] California Wild Fire Pictures
Message-ID: <D4BF8871BBDB48A59553A9490B850E2B@YOURB88038198E>



See:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/wildfires_in_southern_californ.html

EK
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 11 00:38:45 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:38:45 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Jack Webb Schools Obama
Message-ID: <400985d70909102138t6a589ee6j7abc4d964c38b906@mail.gmail.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4r6YCUtxfs

From ekroposki at charter.net  Fri Sep 11 03:10:14 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:10:14 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe Wilson
Message-ID: <B940F2CEB7EF42389510E4BC0DECFF07@YOURB88038198E>




      As you know, Congressman Joe Wilson was the one who verbally responded to the President during his speech to the Joint session of Congress.  This Is his response to all the criticism and attacks that have come his way since yesterday.

      www.joewilsonforcongress.com 




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From ekroposki at charter.net  Fri Sep 11 11:55:25 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:55:25 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] thought of the day...
Message-ID: <31D435C4D333462CAFA6D3EA393A551A@YOURB88038198E>

I picked this up on a sailing board:

A paragraph from "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge:
"A judge in his sixties, a real southern gentleman with a pinstriped suit and an elegant manner of speech, pulled me aside during a conference. Quietly, almost apologetically, he spoke of his love for sailing, for the open sea, and how he and a buddy eventually built their own boat. Then came a twinkle in his eye. "We were sailing off the coast of Bermuda a few years ago, when we were hit by a northeaster. Really, it came up out of nowhere. Twenty foot swells in a thirty foot homemade boat. I thought we were all going to die." A pause for dramatic effect, and then he confessed, "It was the best time of my life."

Ed K
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 11 22:08:00 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:08:00 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Virginia Voters
Message-ID: <400985d70909111908w59c3714fk6e0508f3eec5b843@mail.gmail.com>

This just crossed my radar.  How about you Virginia voters keeping an
eye on this gal -

http://www.standoffattiananmen.com/2009/02/gong-xiaoxia-to-run-for-virginia-state.html

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 11 22:10:04 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:10:04 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Virginia Voters
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909111908w59c3714fk6e0508f3eec5b843@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909111908w59c3714fk6e0508f3eec5b843@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909111910p6a7ba103qb9f496b0330820c6@mail.gmail.com>

This link is buried in the original website -

http://sashagong.com/

Brad

On 9/11/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> This just crossed my radar.  How about you Virginia voters keeping an
> eye on this gal -
>
> http://www.standoffattiananmen.com/2009/02/gong-xiaoxia-to-run-for-virginia-state.html
>
> Brad
>

From ekroposki at charter.net  Sat Sep 12 08:24:27 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:24:27 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Virginia Voters and yea ol rhodes list...
Message-ID: <73F18F0CE73B4445B8923B4214785566@YOURB88038198E>

Brad,

I followed your recommended web site and then went to her campaign web site.  You ought to get someone post it for all the Marxist on the Rhodes 22 web site.

http://sashagong.com/blog/The-Forgotten-History-of-a-Public-Private-Partnershipa-.html

These people who advocate ObamaCare are very simply trying to make us all Serfs under the Feudal System.  Creating a man made right to health care not only demeans responsibity and obligation to work for ones own benefits but creates a servitude on the part of formerly free men to serve that obligation.  

A charitable purpose is not a valid reason for enslaving men.

Ed K
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From sail at tds.net  Fri Sep 11 18:23:37 2009
From: sail at tds.net (Ron Singerman)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:23:37 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] thought of the day...
References: <31D435C4D333462CAFA6D3EA393A551A@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <8CF8F46E39064C0ABB08803481C230F8@computer>

AMEN

>>ron<<
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ed Kroposki 
  To: Swift Water 
  Cc: Ron Singerman ; Rob Lowe 
  Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 11:55 AM
  Subject: thought of the day...


  I picked this up on a sailing board:

  A paragraph from "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge:
  "A judge in his sixties, a real southern gentleman with a pinstriped suit and an elegant manner of speech, pulled me aside during a conference. Quietly, almost apologetically, he spoke of his love for sailing, for the open sea, and how he and a buddy eventually built their own boat. Then came a twinkle in his eye. "We were sailing off the coast of Bermuda a few years ago, when we were hit by a northeaster. Really, it came up out of nowhere. Twenty foot swells in a thirty foot homemade boat. I thought we were all going to die." A pause for dramatic effect, and then he confessed, "It was the best time of my life."

  Ed K
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sat Sep 12 10:26:38 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:26:38 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Obama's Rhetoric vs. Common Sense
Message-ID: <400985d70909120726w1fdd2171qe28aaed1a0ca3687@mail.gmail.com>

September 12, 2009
Obama's Rhetoric vs. Common Sense
By Thomas Sowell

"Hubris-laden charlatans" was the way a recent e-mail from a reader
characterized the Obama administration. That phrase seems especially
appropriate for the Charlatan-in-Chief, Barack Obama, whose speech to
a joint session of Congress was both a masterpiece of rhetoric and a
shameless fraud.

To tell us, with a straight face, that he can insure millions more
people without adding to the already skyrocketing deficit, is
world-class chutzpa and an insult to anyone's intelligence. To do so
after an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office has already
showed this to be impossible reveals the depths of moral bankruptcy
behind the glittering words.

Did we really need CBO experts to tell us that there is no free lunch?
Some people probably did and the true believers in the Obama cult may
still believe the President, instead of believing either common sense
or budget experts.

Even those who can believe that Obama can conjure up the money through
eliminating "waste, fraud and abuse" should ask themselves where he is
going to conjure up the additional doctors, nurses, and hospitals
needed to take care of millions more patients.

If he can't pull off that miracle, then government-run medical care in
the United States can be expected to produce what government-run
medical care in Canada, Britain, and other countries has produced--
delays of weeks or months to get many treatments, not to mention
arbitrary rationing decisions by bureaucrats.

Obama can deny it in words but what matters are deeds-- and no one's
words have been more repeatedly the direct opposite of his deeds--
whether talking about how his election campaign would be financed, how
he would not rush legislation through Congress, or how his
administration was not going to go after CIA agents for their past
efforts to extract information from captured terrorists.

President Obama has also declared emphatically that he will not
interfere in the internal affairs of other nations-- while telling the
Israelis where they can and cannot build settlements and telling the
Hondurans whom they should and should not choose to be their
president.

One of the secrets of being a glib talker is not getting hung up over
whether what you are saying is true, and instead giving your full
attention to what is required by the audience and the circumstances of
the moment, without letting facts get in your way and cramp your
style. Obama has mastered that art.

Con men understand that their job is not to use facts to convince
skeptics but to use words to help the gullible to believe what they
want to believe. No message has been more welcomed by the gullible, in
countries around the world, than the promise of something for nothing.
That is the core of Barack Obama's medical care plan.

President Obama tells us that he will impose various mandates on
insurance companies but will not interfere with our free choice
between being insured by these companies or by the government. But if
he can drive up the cost of private insurance with mandates and
subsidize government insurance with the taxpayers' money, how long do
you think it will be before we have the "single payer" system has he
has advocated in the past?

Mandates by politicians are what have driven up the cost of insurance
already. Politicians love to play Santa Claus and leave it to others
to raise prices to cover the inevitable costs.

Politicians have driven privately owned municipal transit systems out
of business in many cities, by simply imposing costs and restricting
the fare increases needed to cover those costs. The federal government
can drive out private insurance the same way that local politicians
have driven out private municipal transit and replaced it with
government-run transit systems.

Barack Obama's insistence that various dangerous policies are not in
the legislation he proposes sounds good but means nothing. Unbridled
power is a blank check, no matter what its rationale may be. No law
gave the President of the United States the power to fire the head of
General Motors, but TARP money did.

When there are "advisory" panels on what treatments to approve and the
White House's existing medical advisor has complained of Americans'
"over-utilization" of medical care, what does it take to connect the
dots?

From ekroposki at charter.net  Sat Sep 12 11:32:43 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:32:43 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Obama's Rhetoric vs. Common Sense
Message-ID: <A55F2D7145584607BDCBFD6FACC98058@YOURB88038198E>

Why is that an 80 year old Black Economist can say it so accurately?

Ed K
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Sat Sep 12 13:25:34 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:25:34 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] California Wild Fire Pictures
In-Reply-To: <D4BF8871BBDB48A59553A9490B850E2B@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <707199.38425.qm@web111205.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

Thank you, Ed, ? for posting the link. Those are amazing photos...not just technically but also showing the scope & scale of the fires.
?
elle

--- On Thu, 9/10/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:


From: Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net>
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] California Wild Fire Pictures
To: "Swift Water" <SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
Cc: "Rob Lowe" <rlowe at vt.edu>, "Ron Singerman" <sail at tds.net>
Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 5:55 PM





?
?
See:
?
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/wildfires_in_southern_californ.html
?
EK
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----


_______________________________________________
SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette



      
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Sat Sep 12 13:54:00 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:54:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] One to watch in VA
In-Reply-To: <400985d70907280631x52155192g503513db6814d894@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <366318.84004.qm@web111211.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

Here is an organization which employed the recent-high school-graduate-granddaughter (from a Socialist country in Europe!) of a friend for the summer. It was a paid 'internship' that sent kids into the slums of Hopewell VA (and another nearby similar community) to register voters. The kid insisted that there was no political affiliation..they were just helping out the poor people....
?
?
anyone with a quarter brain can see right through this....
?
http://www.virginia-organizing.org/
?
?
elle
?
?
--- On Tue, 7/28/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Racist in Chief loses a voter!
To: "Letters to the Editor" <swiftwatergazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 9:31 AM


Dr. Sowell weighs in (below).? Anyone with half a brain could figure
this guy out during the election process.? People saw what they wanted
to see and ignored the obvious.? It is a bit late, but folks are
starting see through this guy for what he is.

Brad

------------

July 28, 2009
A Post-Racial President?
By Thomas Sowell

Many people hoped that the election of a black President of the United
States would mark our entering a "post-racial" era, when we could
finally put some ugly aspects of our history behind us.

That is quite understandable. But it takes two to tango. Those of us
who want to see racism on its way out need to realize that others
benefit greatly from crying racism. They benefit politically,
financially, and socially.

Barack Obama has been allied with such people for decades. He found it
expedient to appeal to a wider electorate as a post-racial candidate,
just as he has found it expedient to say a lot of other popular
things-- about campaign finance, about transparency in government,
about not rushing legislation through Congress without having it first
posted on the Internet long enough to be studied-- all of which turned
to be the direct opposite of what he actually did after getting
elected.

Those who were shocked at President Obama's cheap shot at the
Cambridge police for being "stupid" in arresting Henry Louis Gates
must have been among those who let their wishes prevail over the
obvious implications of Obama's 20 years of association with the
Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Anyone who can believe that Obama did not
understand what the racist rants of Jeremiah Wright meant can believe
anything.

With race-- as with campaign finance, transparency and the
rest-- Barack Obama knows what the public wants to hear and that is
what he has said. But his policies as president have been the opposite
of his rhetoric, with race as with other issues.

As a state senator in Illinois, Obama pushed the "racial profiling"
issue, so it is hardly surprising that he jumped to the conclusion
that a policeman was racial profiling when in fact the cop was
investigating a report received from a neighbor that someone seemed to
be breaking into the house that Professor Gates was renting in
Cambridge.

For those who are interested in facts-- and these obviously do not
include President Obama-- there has been a serious study of racial
profiling in a book titled "Are Cops Racist?" by Heather Mac Donald.
Her analysis of the data shows how this issue has long been distorted
beyond recognition by politics.

The racial profiling issue is a great vote-getter. And if it polarizes
the society, that is a price that politicians are willing to pay in
order to get votes. Academics who run black studies departments, as
Professor Henry Louis Gates does, likewise have a vested interest in
racial paranoia.

For "community organizers" as well, racial resentments are a stock in
trade. President Obama's background as a community organizer has
received far too little attention, though it should have been a
high-alert warning that this was no post-racial figure.

What does a community organizer do? What he does not do is organize a
community. What he organizes are the resentments and paranoia within a
community, directing those feelings against other communities, from
whom either benefits or revenge are to be gotten, using whatever
rhetoric or tactics will accomplish that purpose.

To think that someone who has spent years promoting grievance and
polarization was going to bring us all together as president is a
triumph of wishful thinking over reality.

Not only Barack Obama's past, but his present, tell the same story.
His appointment of an attorney general who called America "a nation of
cowards" for not dialoguing about race was a foretaste of what to
expect from Eric Holder.

The way Attorney General Holder has refused to prosecute young black
thugs who gathered at a voting site with menacing clubs, in blatant
violation of federal laws against intimidating voters, speaks louder
than any words from him or his president.

President Obama's first nominee to the Supreme Court is, like Obama
himself, someone with a background of years of affiliation with an
organization dedicated to promoting racial resentments and a sense of
racial entitlement.

An 18th century philosopher said, "When I speak I put on a mask. When
I act I am forced to take it off." Barack Obama's mask slipped for a
moment last week but he quickly recovered, with the help of the media.
But we should never forget what we saw.

On 7/28/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> http://tinyurl.com/nmbtgx
>
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Sat Sep 12 14:47:44 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:47:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0908040939q22cea32cwe893200b6dc8f200@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <998029.17206.qm@web111203.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

It's already there...and people pay for it...willingly...
?
On Star.
?
?
?
My apologies if someone has already posted to this effect...I'm a month behind & catching up slowly...
?
elle

--- On Tue, 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 12:39 PM


Brad,

This is getting repetitious ...... Well, DUH!!!

Why in the world would we need to create a new way to collect a highway tax. Especially one as expensive and complicated to start up as this GPS thing they are talking about???

RAISE THE TAX YOU ALREADY HAVE. Good grief, the road use (fuel) tax is one of the fairest taxes we have in this country. You pay for what you use. You use less, you pay less. Poor people can buy a car that runs cheaper so that they not only pay for less fuel, but pay less taxes too. Why are people trying to replace this very simple tax with some expensive to implement, difficult to administer, technology intensive pain in the ass???

Besides, it ain't nobody's business where the hell we go. Somebody ought'a have a constitutional issue with this GPS thing!!!

Rik


On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 11:18 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

Rik,

This is as good a place as any to report this 'gubment jewel' -

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2009/Aug09/080309/080309-01.htm

Mo taxes! ?What could possibly go wrong? ?Ask "Joe the Plumber" about
public officials releasing information in an attempt to destroy a
private citizen for political reasons. ?So the 'gubmint' gets access
to all your health records, the IRS already has your financial
records, and now the DOT wants to record EVERYWHERE you drive.
Orwell's imagination wasn't this prolific!

Brad




On 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Well DUH!!!
>
> A revelation by the new administration .... the rich can't support the whole
> world. Hell, I sat down back when Bush was still president and figured that
> out in about a half hour, when all the liberals were whining about the Bush
> tax cuts. But now, the bill is a hell of a lot bigger and will get bigger
> still if the messiah get his way. Whether the rich could cover this isn't
> even debatable. It wasn't even close BEFORE this last round of
> unconscionable spending.
>
> And of course they want a VAT and a 10% VAT, at that, that's huge!!. They
> certainly wouldn't have the balls to put on a straight sales tax. A tax that
> would be transparent .... remember transparency??? One of the messiah's
> great promises??
>
> If this man is not stopped soon, none of us will have anything left worth
> saving.
>
> Rik
>
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 7:28 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ".......the feds could take 100% of the taxable income of everyone in
>> America earning more than $500,000 and still have raised only $1.3
>> trillion even in the boom year of 2006. The rich are fewer and less
>> rich now, while the Obama budget is nearly $4 trillion....."
>>
>> Think about that for a moment. ?You've been had. ?Well maybe not you,
>> but 53% were had.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> -------------------
>>
>> from the WSJ
>>
>> ? ?* AUGUST 3, 2009, 8:08 P.M. ET
>>
>> Teeing Up the Middle Class
>> Joe the Plumber?s tax vindication is nigh.
>>
>>
>> Few of President Obama?s 2008 campaign pledges were more definitive
>> than his vow that anyone making less than $250,000 a year ?will not
>> see their taxes increase by a single dime? if he was elected. And he
>> was right, very strictly speaking: It?s going to be many, many, many
>> billions of dimes.
>>
>> Asked about raising taxes on the middle class on Sunday on CBS?s ?Face
>> the Nation,? White House economist Larry Summers wouldn?t repeat Mr.
>> Obama?s pre-election promise. ?It is never a good idea to absolutely
>> rule things out no matter what,? Mr. Summers said?except, apparently,
>> when his boss is running for office. Meanwhile, on ABC?s ?This Week,?
>> Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also slid around Mr. Obama?s vow
>> and said, ?We have to bring these deficits down very dramatically. And
>> that?s going to require some very hard choices.?
>>
>> These aren?t even nondenial denials. The Obama advisers are laying the
>> groundwork for taxing the middle class while claiming the deficit made
>> them do it.
>>
>> The liberal establishment is even further along in finally admitting
>> that Mr. Obama wasn?t, er, telling the truth. A piece in the New York
>> Times over the weekend declared in a headline that ?the Rich Can?t Pay
>> for Everything, Analysts Say.? And it quoted Leonard Burman, a veteran
>> of the Clinton Treasury who now runs the Brookings Tax Policy Center,
>> as saying that ?This idea that everything new that government provides
>> ought to be paid for by the top 5%, that?s a basically unstable way of
>> governing.? They?re right, but where were they during the campaign?
>>
>>
>> In an editorial on February 26, ?The 2% Illusion,? we wrote that the
>> feds could take 100% of the taxable income of everyone in America
>> earning more than $500,000 and still have raised only $1.3 trillion
>> even in the boom year of 2006. The rich are fewer and less rich now,
>> while the Obama budget is nearly $4 trillion.
>>
>> Democrats already plan to repeal the Bush tax cuts, but that won?t
>> raise enough money. So they?re proposing an income tax surcharge on
>> ?the wealthy,? but that won?t raise enough either. Democrats have no
>> choice but to soak the middle class because only they have enough
>> money to finance the liberal dream of yoking the middle class to
>> cradle-to-grave government entitlements.
>>
>> Democrats have already taxed the middle class by raising cigarette
>> taxes to pay for the children?s health-care expansion. They?re also
>> teeing up average earners with their cap-and-tax energy bill. Mr.
>> Obama had hoped that cap-and-tax would raise some $646 billion over a
>> decade, but Democrats in the House had to give most of that away in
>> bribes to business to pass their bill. To finance ObamaCare, they?re
>> also proposing another 10-percentage-point increase in the payroll tax
>> on firms and individuals that don?t purchase health insurance. But
>> this won?t raise enough money either.
>>
>> So waiting in the wings is the biggest middle-class tax increase of
>> them all: a European-style value added tax, or VAT. This tax would
>> apply to every level of production or service, and it is beloved by
>> politicians in Europe because it raises so much money so easily
>> without voters noticing. Ezekiel Emanuel, a White House aide and
>> brother of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, has advocated a 10% VAT to
>> finance national health care. Look for a VAT to be one of the
>> prominent options when Mr. Obama?s tax reform commission issues its
>> report later this year.
>>
>> The undeniable reality is that you can?t run a European-style
>> welfare-entitlement state without European-style levels of taxation on
>> the middle class (and eventually without low European-style growth and
>> high jobless rates). It?s looking more and more like Mr. Obama?s
>> no-middle-class-tax pledge was one of the greatest confidence tricks
>> in American political history.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot
> rely on some authority to take care of them and still be free. ?It is a
> truism that with freedom comes responsibility. ?It is also true that freedom
> only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject the
> premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other
> people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker
>

_______________________________________________
SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
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http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette



-- 
"Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot rely on some authority to take care of them and still be free. ?It is a truism that with freedom comes responsibility. ?It is also true that freedom only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject the premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker


-----Inline Attachment Follows-----


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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Sat Sep 12 15:13:51 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:13:51 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cash for Clunkers
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0908041223r4a54d88cg19038c8b36ba4203@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <366345.25978.qm@web111214.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

(still getting caught up....)
?
Rik said: 
?"Short term thinking at it's finest!!!"
?
?
Rik,
?
this gives way to the new expression for failure that I've been hearing more & more....: The Law of?Unintended Consequences," or, We didn't think it through...and didn't really care to.
?
elle
?



--- On Tue, 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cash for Clunkers
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 3:23 PM


Brad,

Well, call me a patriot. I saw the CFC program for the waste that it is and voluntarily passed on my share of the free bucks .... not wanting to be part of the problem.

When will our handlers see that the way to end up with a stable, sustainable economy going forward is to work down this debt (both public & private) and get back to investing money we actually have (savings)?? You can't re-inflate a bubble once it has popped. Forcing me to buy a new car, that I may or may not need, may or may not be able to afford and certainly will get no use of is only prolonging the misery. Further, how many cars will NOT be sold next year because of this foolishness today??? What are they gonna do then?? Short term thinking at it's finest!!!

Rik


On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 1:45 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

Rik,

This article (from National Review) once again raises the question of
how good an environmental policy is "Cash for Clunkers". ?The science
is pretty well settled on this, not that science (or common sense)
matters to these folks.

Brad

-------------

The Billion-Dollar Car Crash
By the Editors

?Oh Lord, won?t you buy me a Mercedez Benz,? Janis Joplin once
warbled. The Lord, presumably, has other things on His mind, but Uncle
Sam is happy to pitch in for a new Benz under the incontestably
harebrained ?Cash for Clunkers? program, which already has run through
its first billion dollars and which the solons in Washington may dump
more billions into.

Cash for Clunkers was sold as a greenish stimulus for the suffering
car-sales business. If your old car is sufficiently thirsty for
gasoline, and the new one is sufficiently thrifty, the federal bursary
will dispense to you either $3,500 or $4,500 under the program. Which
is to say, one set of Americans will be taxed to the tune of several
thousand dollars to subsidize the new-car purchases of another set of
Americans, on the condition the cars purchased are the sort of cars
that the Obama administration and its congressional allies prefer that
Americans purchase. The credit is good for cars up to $45,000, meaning
that an entry-level Benz qualifies for a federal handout, but the
Porsche Cayman is just out of the reach of would-be automotive welfare
queens. Your old car goes out to Monster Joe?s Truck and Tow to get
mashed ? it is not to be resold, though some of it may be recycled.

There are many kinds of stupidity involved in Cash for Clunkers, but
let us address the two big ones: environmental stupidity and economic
stupidity.

First the environmental issue. Driving cars consumes energy, it is
true, and producing that energy leads to pollution, as energy
production always does. Cash for Clunkers subsidizes the switch from
relatively fuel-inefficient cars to relatively fuel-efficient ones,
but driving is not the only energy-consuming activity related to
automobiles. Producing new cars takes a lot of energy, too.
Manufacturing a new Toyota Prius, to take one example dear to the
hearts of Obama-voting conspicuous green consumers from Seattle to
Madison, uses the equivalent of burning about 1,000 gallons of
gasoline. If Washington really wanted to encourage energy savings, it
would subsidize the purchase of fuel-efficient used cars ? as Wired
magazine pointed out in a 2008 article (?Go Green: Buy a Used Car,
It?s Better Than a Hybrid?), a 1994 Geo Metro gets mileage as good as
the Prius?s without incurring the 13 million BTUs of energy necessary
to build a new one. So it is far from clear that Cash for Clunkers
will produce net environmental benefits.

More obvious, and more galling, is the economic stupidity. If we could
stimulate the economy by destroying consumer goods and replacing them
with more expensive greenwashed alternatives, then we should all go
burn down our houses and have Washington subsidize new ones with solar
panels on the roofs and maybe little wind turbines out back. But
neither an individual, nor a family, nor a nation is able to build
wealth through the wanton destruction of assets, even if some of those
assets are 1994 Chevy Blazers with 140,000 miles on the odometer.
Frederic Bastiat, in his famous essay, ?What Is Seen and What Is Not
Seen,? ?takes the case of a broken window:

? ?Suppose that it will cost six francs to repair the damage. . . .
The glazier will come, do his job, receive six francs, congratulate
himself, and bless in his heart the careless child. That is what is
seen. . . . It is not seen that, since our citizen has spent six
francs for one thing, he will not be able to spend them for another.
It is not seen that if he had not had a windowpane to replace, he
would have replaced, for example, his worn-out shoes or added another
book to his library. . . . The window having been broken, the glass
industry gets six francs? worth of encouragement; that is what is
seen. If the window had not been broken, the shoe industry (or some
other) would have received six francs? worth of encouragement; that is
what is not seen.

What we have in Cash for Clunkers is a billion dollars? worth of newly
broken windows.

The House already has approved $2 billion more for this witless
exercise, and Obama?s secretary of transportation, Ray LaHood, is
pressing the Senate to bless this buffoonery before the August recess.
Oh, Lord, Washington ? give us less Janis Joplin, more Frederic
Bastiat, and no more Cash for Clunkers.





On 7/30/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey .... how'd the gov't know I wanted to buy that guy a new truck.
>
> That question wasn't in the American Community Survey.
>
> Rik
>
> On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 7:30 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Go figure!
>>
>> http://www.startribune.com/business/51943937.html?page=1&c=y
>>
>> Do you really want these people in charge of your health care?
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 7/29/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Finally, I time something right! ?Two months ago the local VW dealer
>> > had plenty of inventory and they were heavily discounting to move
>> > cars. ?Plus, the diesels qualify for a $1300 tax rebate. ?What I found
>> > interesting about the following article was that Germany takes August
>> > off -
>> >
>> > http://tinyurl.com/logky3
>> >
>> > Does this mean Mexico takes August off as well? ?How about Chattanooga
>> > when the new VW plant there comes on line? ?What a novel concept, why
>> > doesn't the whole US just go on vacation until we run out of inventory
>> > of everything, and then the recession is over!
>> >
>> > Brad
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> ?The government is great at breaking your leg, handing you a crutch, and
> then saying, ?You see, without me, you couldn?t walk.? ?. Harry Browne
>

_______________________________________________
SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
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-- 
"Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot rely on some authority to take care of them and still be free. ?It is a truism that with freedom comes responsibility. ?It is also true that freedom only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject the premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker


-----Inline Attachment Follows-----


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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sat Sep 12 23:38:29 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:38:29 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Vote For Adam!
Message-ID: <400985d70909122038w48a983f9v36974b43928b6465@mail.gmail.com>

This guy popped-up on my radar screen a few months ago and I made a
small donation to his campaign.  This morning I got a personal e-mail
thank you and a request for another donation.  I made one.  About an
hour later the candidate called.  We got sidetracked talking pilot
stuff for a good long while but we eventually did get around to
discussing politics.  I live in Marsha Blackburn's district (TN) and
she will go unopposed.  I've adopted Adam from Illinois as my pet
project. Here's a short video -

http://electadam.com/inner.asp?z=2

You can access the rest of his website and bio from there.  Good kid!
Jeez, I really must be getting old when potential Congresscritters are
kids.

Brad

From ekroposki at charter.net  Sun Sep 13 08:09:53 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:09:53 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Brad, about Adam
Message-ID: <1211D53F2F9C4FE6B1AC30F92247DC3C@YOURB88038198E>

Brad, 

One flyboy running deserves another, you.

Keep in mind that the guy who called Obama a liar is an Army National Guard General.  Humm?

www.joewilsonforcongress.com 

Ed K



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From bill at effros.com  Sun Sep 13 08:16:22 2009
From: bill at effros.com (Bill Effros)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:16:22 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Kelly is Dead
Message-ID: <4AACE296.5060209@effros.com>

*Hardball.

B.

Ex-Blagojevich adviser dies before prison term*

Email this Story <javascript:eMail_Friend(540, 540);>

Sep 13, 7:21 AM (ET)

By MIKE ROBINSON

CHICAGO (AP) - A week before one of ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's 
closest advisers was to go to prison for fraud, the commercial roofing 
contractor died at a Chicago hospital, and the mayor of a town where he 
was found said the death was being investigated as a suicide.

An autopsy was planned Sunday for Christopher G. Kelly, 51, who was 
discovered Friday night in a lumber yard parking lot in Country Club 
Hills, a town just southwest of Chicago. Kelly died Saturday morning, 
authorities said.

Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch said police were investigating 
Kelly's death as a suicide, but were going to be especially thorough. 
Local and state police and the FBI searched for clues at the lumberyard, 
but no further information was available, Welch said.

Kelly - who raised millions of dollars for Blagojevich's campaigns - was 
taken to Oak Forest Hospital at 11:15 p.m. Friday, and later transferred 
to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital for further treatment, said Stroger 
spokesman Marcel Bright. Kelly arrived there by ambulance at 5:15 a.m. 
Saturday and was pronounced dead at 10:46 a.m., Bright said.

Kelly had pleaded not guilty to charges included in the federal 
indictment alleging Blagojevich sought to sell or trade President Barack 
Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.

But he was to report Friday to begin serving a three-year federal prison 
sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud charges that included 
writing off thousands of dollars in gambling debts as business expenses.

Kelly, who admittedly loved to gamble and ran up big debts at Las Vegas 
casinos and elsewhere, was part of Blagojevich's tight inner circle 
along with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko. Rezko is believed to 
be cooperating with federal prosecutors after being convicted of taking 
part in a $7 million payoff scheme.

Kelly also pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking part in an $8.5 million 
fraud against United Airlines and American Airlines for work on their 
hangars at O'Hare International Airport. A plea agreement with federal 
prosecutors called for him to serve a five-year prison sentence on top 
of the three years for tax offenses.

He also faced charges in the sweeping Blagojevich indictment that 
alleged he plotted with Blagojevich to use the muscle of the governor's 
office to squeeze payments out of those seeking state business.

Prosecutors hoped Kelly would try to reduce his mounting federal prison 
time by agreeing to cooperate and tell them what he knew about 
corruption in state government under Blagojevich.

But he remained grimly silent as his situation got worse.

Kelly's chief defense attorney was not available for comment, according 
to a woman who answered the telephone at his home. A spokesman for the 
U.S. attorney's office, Randall Samborn, declined to comment.

Blagojevich was in New York when he learned of Kelly's death.

"I am deeply saddened to hear that Chris has died. My heart goes out to 
his wife Carmen, his three daughters Grace, Jacqueline and Claire and 
his entire family. They are in our prayers," Blagojevich said in a 
statement.

Neither of Kelly's guilty pleas called for any cooperation with the 
government.

"I rather doubt that it will have any impact on the government's case at 
all," said Allan A. Ackerman, who recently joined Blagojevich's legal 
defense team. "It's a tragedy and very sad for his family."

On Tuesday, Kelly admitted he paid $450,000 in kickbacks to an unnamed 
consultant who allegedly inflated cost estimates for repairs to hangars 
at O'Hare. Kelly admitted bids on the projects were rigged to make 
certain his BCI Commercial Roofing Inc. would land the contracts.

In all, the contracts paid Kelly $8.5 million. His profit was $2.5 
million, according to the plea agreement. He was to be sentenced to 
nearly five years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle set Nov. 18 for that sentencing 
but ordered Kelly to start serving time next Friday.

The new sentence would have been on top of those three years, handed to 
him in June for obstructing the Internal Revenue Service by paying 
gambling debts with his company's money and illegally structured cash 
withdrawals to hide how much he was taking from the company.

---

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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sun Sep 13 10:06:02 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:06:02 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Kelly is Dead
In-Reply-To: <4AACE296.5060209@effros.com>
References: <4AACE296.5060209@effros.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909130706y487061c8s737b913b20088342@mail.gmail.com>

Bill,

No doubt you noted the irony that Kelly was taken to John H. Stroger,
Jr hospital. And who is Stroger? Welcome to Chicago!

Brad

On 9/13/09, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
> *Hardball.
>
> B.
>
> Ex-Blagojevich adviser dies before prison term*
>
> Email this Story <javascript:eMail_Friend(540, 540);>
>
> Sep 13, 7:21 AM (ET)
>
> By MIKE ROBINSON
>
> CHICAGO (AP) - A week before one of ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
> closest advisers was to go to prison for fraud, the commercial roofing
> contractor died at a Chicago hospital, and the mayor of a town where he
> was found said the death was being investigated as a suicide.
>
> An autopsy was planned Sunday for Christopher G. Kelly, 51, who was
> discovered Friday night in a lumber yard parking lot in Country Club
> Hills, a town just southwest of Chicago. Kelly died Saturday morning,
> authorities said.
>
> Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch said police were investigating
> Kelly's death as a suicide, but were going to be especially thorough.
> Local and state police and the FBI searched for clues at the lumberyard,
> but no further information was available, Welch said.
>
> Kelly - who raised millions of dollars for Blagojevich's campaigns - was
> taken to Oak Forest Hospital at 11:15 p.m. Friday, and later transferred
> to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital for further treatment, said Stroger
> spokesman Marcel Bright. Kelly arrived there by ambulance at 5:15 a.m.
> Saturday and was pronounced dead at 10:46 a.m., Bright said.
>
> Kelly had pleaded not guilty to charges included in the federal
> indictment alleging Blagojevich sought to sell or trade President Barack
> Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.
>
> But he was to report Friday to begin serving a three-year federal prison
> sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud charges that included
> writing off thousands of dollars in gambling debts as business expenses.
>
> Kelly, who admittedly loved to gamble and ran up big debts at Las Vegas
> casinos and elsewhere, was part of Blagojevich's tight inner circle
> along with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko. Rezko is believed to
> be cooperating with federal prosecutors after being convicted of taking
> part in a $7 million payoff scheme.
>
> Kelly also pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking part in an $8.5 million
> fraud against United Airlines and American Airlines for work on their
> hangars at O'Hare International Airport. A plea agreement with federal
> prosecutors called for him to serve a five-year prison sentence on top
> of the three years for tax offenses.
>
> He also faced charges in the sweeping Blagojevich indictment that
> alleged he plotted with Blagojevich to use the muscle of the governor's
> office to squeeze payments out of those seeking state business.
>
> Prosecutors hoped Kelly would try to reduce his mounting federal prison
> time by agreeing to cooperate and tell them what he knew about
> corruption in state government under Blagojevich.
>
> But he remained grimly silent as his situation got worse.
>
> Kelly's chief defense attorney was not available for comment, according
> to a woman who answered the telephone at his home. A spokesman for the
> U.S. attorney's office, Randall Samborn, declined to comment.
>
> Blagojevich was in New York when he learned of Kelly's death.
>
> "I am deeply saddened to hear that Chris has died. My heart goes out to
> his wife Carmen, his three daughters Grace, Jacqueline and Claire and
> his entire family. They are in our prayers," Blagojevich said in a
> statement.
>
> Neither of Kelly's guilty pleas called for any cooperation with the
> government.
>
> "I rather doubt that it will have any impact on the government's case at
> all," said Allan A. Ackerman, who recently joined Blagojevich's legal
> defense team. "It's a tragedy and very sad for his family."
>
> On Tuesday, Kelly admitted he paid $450,000 in kickbacks to an unnamed
> consultant who allegedly inflated cost estimates for repairs to hangars
> at O'Hare. Kelly admitted bids on the projects were rigged to make
> certain his BCI Commercial Roofing Inc. would land the contracts.
>
> In all, the contracts paid Kelly $8.5 million. His profit was $2.5
> million, according to the plea agreement. He was to be sentenced to
> nearly five years in prison.
>
> U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle set Nov. 18 for that sentencing
> but ordered Kelly to start serving time next Friday.
>
> The new sentence would have been on top of those three years, handed to
> him in June for obstructing the Internal Revenue Service by paying
> gambling debts with his company's money and illegally structured cash
> withdrawals to hide how much he was taking from the company.
>
> ---
>
>

From bill at effros.com  Sun Sep 13 10:46:02 2009
From: bill at effros.com (Bill Effros)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:46:02 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Kelly is Dead
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909130706y487061c8s737b913b20088342@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4AACE296.5060209@effros.com>
	<400985d70909130706y487061c8s737b913b20088342@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4AAD05AA.1070304@effros.com>

Thanks, Brad,

No, I totally missed the Stroger connection, and just as totally forgot 
who he was.

That's why I love this list -- everybody is doing a lot of reading and 
remembering for me.

BTW -- I was just sending out the LA Fire Pictures site when Elle 
thanked Ed -- Thanks, Ed.  Thanks, Elle.

B.



Brad Haslett wrote:
> Bill,
>
> No doubt you noted the irony that Kelly was taken to John H. Stroger,
> Jr hospital. And who is Stroger? Welcome to Chicago!
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/13/09, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>   
>> *Hardball.
>>
>> B.
>>
>> Ex-Blagojevich adviser dies before prison term*
>>
>> Email this Story <javascript:eMail_Friend(540, 540);>
>>
>> Sep 13, 7:21 AM (ET)
>>
>> By MIKE ROBINSON
>>
>> CHICAGO (AP) - A week before one of ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
>> closest advisers was to go to prison for fraud, the commercial roofing
>> contractor died at a Chicago hospital, and the mayor of a town where he
>> was found said the death was being investigated as a suicide.
>>
>> An autopsy was planned Sunday for Christopher G. Kelly, 51, who was
>> discovered Friday night in a lumber yard parking lot in Country Club
>> Hills, a town just southwest of Chicago. Kelly died Saturday morning,
>> authorities said.
>>
>> Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch said police were investigating
>> Kelly's death as a suicide, but were going to be especially thorough.
>> Local and state police and the FBI searched for clues at the lumberyard,
>> but no further information was available, Welch said.
>>
>> Kelly - who raised millions of dollars for Blagojevich's campaigns - was
>> taken to Oak Forest Hospital at 11:15 p.m. Friday, and later transferred
>> to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital for further treatment, said Stroger
>> spokesman Marcel Bright. Kelly arrived there by ambulance at 5:15 a.m.
>> Saturday and was pronounced dead at 10:46 a.m., Bright said.
>>
>> Kelly had pleaded not guilty to charges included in the federal
>> indictment alleging Blagojevich sought to sell or trade President Barack
>> Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.
>>
>> But he was to report Friday to begin serving a three-year federal prison
>> sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud charges that included
>> writing off thousands of dollars in gambling debts as business expenses.
>>
>> Kelly, who admittedly loved to gamble and ran up big debts at Las Vegas
>> casinos and elsewhere, was part of Blagojevich's tight inner circle
>> along with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko. Rezko is believed to
>> be cooperating with federal prosecutors after being convicted of taking
>> part in a $7 million payoff scheme.
>>
>> Kelly also pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking part in an $8.5 million
>> fraud against United Airlines and American Airlines for work on their
>> hangars at O'Hare International Airport. A plea agreement with federal
>> prosecutors called for him to serve a five-year prison sentence on top
>> of the three years for tax offenses.
>>
>> He also faced charges in the sweeping Blagojevich indictment that
>> alleged he plotted with Blagojevich to use the muscle of the governor's
>> office to squeeze payments out of those seeking state business.
>>
>> Prosecutors hoped Kelly would try to reduce his mounting federal prison
>> time by agreeing to cooperate and tell them what he knew about
>> corruption in state government under Blagojevich.
>>
>> But he remained grimly silent as his situation got worse.
>>
>> Kelly's chief defense attorney was not available for comment, according
>> to a woman who answered the telephone at his home. A spokesman for the
>> U.S. attorney's office, Randall Samborn, declined to comment.
>>
>> Blagojevich was in New York when he learned of Kelly's death.
>>
>> "I am deeply saddened to hear that Chris has died. My heart goes out to
>> his wife Carmen, his three daughters Grace, Jacqueline and Claire and
>> his entire family. They are in our prayers," Blagojevich said in a
>> statement.
>>
>> Neither of Kelly's guilty pleas called for any cooperation with the
>> government.
>>
>> "I rather doubt that it will have any impact on the government's case at
>> all," said Allan A. Ackerman, who recently joined Blagojevich's legal
>> defense team. "It's a tragedy and very sad for his family."
>>
>> On Tuesday, Kelly admitted he paid $450,000 in kickbacks to an unnamed
>> consultant who allegedly inflated cost estimates for repairs to hangars
>> at O'Hare. Kelly admitted bids on the projects were rigged to make
>> certain his BCI Commercial Roofing Inc. would land the contracts.
>>
>> In all, the contracts paid Kelly $8.5 million. His profit was $2.5
>> million, according to the plea agreement. He was to be sentenced to
>> nearly five years in prison.
>>
>> U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle set Nov. 18 for that sentencing
>> but ordered Kelly to start serving time next Friday.
>>
>> The new sentence would have been on top of those three years, handed to
>> him in June for obstructing the Internal Revenue Service by paying
>> gambling debts with his company's money and illegally structured cash
>> withdrawals to hide how much he was taking from the company.
>>
>> ---
>>
>>
>>     
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>   
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sun Sep 13 12:27:44 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:27:44 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] History Lesson
Message-ID: <400985d70909130927k2d666a62n5480f4a81d087121@mail.gmail.com>

Here's 10 minutes of TV worth watching -

http://www.pjtv.com/v/2403

This video reminded me of the statement Deng Xiaoping made when asked
if he thought the French Revolution was a success - "it's too early to
tell".

Brad

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 00:09:14 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:09:14 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber
In-Reply-To: <998029.17206.qm@web111203.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
References: <6634e19e0908040939q22cea32cwe893200b6dc8f200@mail.gmail.com>
	<998029.17206.qm@web111203.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909132109w42fa1995w7ebbf5d0713e0999@mail.gmail.com>

Elle,

No apologies necessary. We all have to catch up at one time or another, Like
I'm doing right now. :-)

"and people pay for it...willingly..."

Not all of us pay for it willingly. I won't have it for the reason you
imply. GPS is shut off in my phone too.
Way too many people know where I am already!!

Rik

On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 1:47 PM, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:

> It's already there...and people pay for it...willingly...
>
> On Star.
>
>
>
> My apologies if someone has already posted to this effect...I'm a month
> behind & catching up slowly...
>
> elle
>
> --- On *Tue, 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber
> To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 12:39 PM
>
>
> Brad,
>
> This is getting repetitious ...... Well, DUH!!!
>
> Why in the world would we need to create a new way to collect a highway
> tax. Especially one as expensive and complicated to start up as this GPS
> thing they are talking about???
>
> RAISE THE TAX YOU ALREADY HAVE. Good grief, the road use (fuel) tax is one
> of the fairest taxes we have in this country. You pay for what you use. You
> use less, you pay less. Poor people can buy a car that runs cheaper so that
> they not only pay for less fuel, but pay less taxes too. Why are people
> trying to replace this very simple tax with some expensive to implement,
> difficult to administer, technology intensive pain in the ass???
>
> Besides, it ain't nobody's business where the hell we go. Somebody ought'a
> have a constitutional issue with this GPS thing!!!
>
> Rik
>
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 11:18 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=flybrad at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
>> Rik,
>>
>> This is as good a place as any to report this 'gubment jewel' -
>>
>>
>> http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2009/Aug09/080309/080309-01.htm
>>
>> Mo taxes!  What could possibly go wrong?  Ask "Joe the Plumber" about
>> public officials releasing information in an attempt to destroy a
>> private citizen for political reasons.  So the 'gubmint' gets access
>> to all your health records, the IRS already has your financial
>> records, and now the DOT wants to record EVERYWHERE you drive.
>> Orwell's imagination wasn't this prolific!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sanderico1 at gmail.com>>
>> wrote:
>> > Brad,
>> >
>> > Well DUH!!!
>> >
>> > A revelation by the new administration .... the rich can't support the
>> whole
>> > world. Hell, I sat down back when Bush was still president and figured
>> that
>> > out in about a half hour, when all the liberals were whining about the
>> Bush
>> > tax cuts. But now, the bill is a hell of a lot bigger and will get
>> bigger
>> > still if the messiah get his way. Whether the rich could cover this
>> isn't
>> > even debatable. It wasn't even close BEFORE this last round of
>> > unconscionable spending.
>> >
>> > And of course they want a VAT and a 10% VAT, at that, that's huge!!.
>> They
>> > certainly wouldn't have the balls to put on a straight sales tax. A tax
>> that
>> > would be transparent .... remember transparency??? One of the messiah's
>> > great promises??
>> >
>> > If this man is not stopped soon, none of us will have anything left
>> worth
>> > saving.
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 7:28 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=flybrad at gmail.com>>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >> ".......the feds could take 100% of the taxable income of everyone in
>> >> America earning more than $500,000 and still have raised only $1.3
>> >> trillion even in the boom year of 2006. The rich are fewer and less
>> >> rich now, while the Obama budget is nearly $4 trillion....."
>> >>
>> >> Think about that for a moment.  You've been had.  Well maybe not you,
>> >> but 53% were had.
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>> >> -------------------
>> >>
>> >> from the WSJ
>> >>
>> >>    * AUGUST 3, 2009, 8:08 P.M. ET
>> >>
>> >> Teeing Up the Middle Class
>> >> Joe the Plumber?s tax vindication is nigh.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Few of President Obama?s 2008 campaign pledges were more definitive
>> >> than his vow that anyone making less than $250,000 a year ?will not
>> >> see their taxes increase by a single dime? if he was elected. And he
>> >> was right, very strictly speaking: It?s going to be many, many, many
>> >> billions of dimes.
>> >>
>> >> Asked about raising taxes on the middle class on Sunday on CBS?s ?Face
>> >> the Nation,? White House economist Larry Summers wouldn?t repeat Mr.
>> >> Obama?s pre-election promise. ?It is never a good idea to absolutely
>> >> rule things out no matter what,? Mr. Summers said?except, apparently,
>> >> when his boss is running for office. Meanwhile, on ABC?s ?This Week,?
>> >> Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also slid around Mr. Obama?s vow
>> >> and said, ?We have to bring these deficits down very dramatically. And
>> >> that?s going to require some very hard choices.?
>> >>
>> >> These aren?t even nondenial denials. The Obama advisers are laying the
>> >> groundwork for taxing the middle class while claiming the deficit made
>> >> them do it.
>> >>
>> >> The liberal establishment is even further along in finally admitting
>> >> that Mr. Obama wasn?t, er, telling the truth. A piece in the New York
>> >> Times over the weekend declared in a headline that ?the Rich Can?t Pay
>> >> for Everything, Analysts Say.? And it quoted Leonard Burman, a veteran
>> >> of the Clinton Treasury who now runs the Brookings Tax Policy Center,
>> >> as saying that ?This idea that everything new that government provides
>> >> ought to be paid for by the top 5%, that?s a basically unstable way of
>> >> governing.? They?re right, but where were they during the campaign?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> In an editorial on February 26, ?The 2% Illusion,? we wrote that the
>> >> feds could take 100% of the taxable income of everyone in America
>> >> earning more than $500,000 and still have raised only $1.3 trillion
>> >> even in the boom year of 2006. The rich are fewer and less rich now,
>> >> while the Obama budget is nearly $4 trillion.
>> >>
>> >> Democrats already plan to repeal the Bush tax cuts, but that won?t
>> >> raise enough money. So they?re proposing an income tax surcharge on
>> >> ?the wealthy,? but that won?t raise enough either. Democrats have no
>> >> choice but to soak the middle class because only they have enough
>> >> money to finance the liberal dream of yoking the middle class to
>> >> cradle-to-grave government entitlements.
>> >>
>> >> Democrats have already taxed the middle class by raising cigarette
>> >> taxes to pay for the children?s health-care expansion. They?re also
>> >> teeing up average earners with their cap-and-tax energy bill. Mr.
>> >> Obama had hoped that cap-and-tax would raise some $646 billion over a
>> >> decade, but Democrats in the House had to give most of that away in
>> >> bribes to business to pass their bill. To finance ObamaCare, they?re
>> >> also proposing another 10-percentage-point increase in the payroll tax
>> >> on firms and individuals that don?t purchase health insurance. But
>> >> this won?t raise enough money either.
>> >>
>> >> So waiting in the wings is the biggest middle-class tax increase of
>> >> them all: a European-style value added tax, or VAT. This tax would
>> >> apply to every level of production or service, and it is beloved by
>> >> politicians in Europe because it raises so much money so easily
>> >> without voters noticing. Ezekiel Emanuel, a White House aide and
>> >> brother of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, has advocated a 10% VAT to
>> >> finance national health care. Look for a VAT to be one of the
>> >> prominent options when Mr. Obama?s tax reform commission issues its
>> >> report later this year.
>> >>
>> >> The undeniable reality is that you can?t run a European-style
>> >> welfare-entitlement state without European-style levels of taxation on
>> >> the middle class (and eventually without low European-style growth and
>> >> high jobless rates). It?s looking more and more like Mr. Obama?s
>> >> no-middle-class-tax pledge was one of the greatest confidence tricks
>> >> in American political history.
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot
>> > rely on some authority to take care of them and still be free.  It is a
>> > truism that with freedom comes responsibility.  It is also true that
>> freedom
>> > only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject
>> the
>> > premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other
>> > people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot
> rely on some authority to take care of them and still be free.  It is a
> truism that with freedom comes responsibility.  It is also true that freedom
> only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject the
> premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other
> people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker
>
>
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com<http://us.mc1112.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 07:31:09 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:31:09 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Economics and War
Message-ID: <400985d70909140431s6a2c1ac2x9fe5d3581a861bec@mail.gmail.com>

Here we go again.  For a quick refresher on history and economics, go here -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act

For a short story on the predictable folly of Cash-4-Clunkers go here -

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_bi_ge/us_life_after_clunkers

Now, the looking out for special interests (steelworkers union) is
starting to get really dangerous (see story below). We took Cora to
the county fair yesterday and I stopped by the  New Holland dealer's
equipment display.  The local dealer I bought my backhoe and
skid-steer from and then shipped to Gulfport went out of business.
The company that took over from them has gone out of business.  The
local Case dealer recently went bankrupt (both Case and New Holland
are owned by Fiat). We talked equipment and I made some complaints
about our rubber tracked skid-steer's engineering (built in Kansas)
and shared our "fixes" that my brother engineered in the field. We are
extremely pleased with our New Holland backhoe (formerly Ford) that is
built in Italy with a Cummins diesel engine (Indiana). The dealer
asked if I was in the market for an excavator and I explained that we
had one - a Hyundai, Korean designed, built outside of Beijing with a
Mitsubishi engine and a Clark (US) drive train. If I were to buy
another one it would be a Sany, designed in China with final  assembly
done in Georgia with a Cummins engine. I don't buy Caterpillar or
Komatsu because it is too expensive on the front-end.  You recoup that
cost when you sell used but I don't plan to sell anything.  The bottom
line is this - there is no such thing as a pure domestic construction
equipment manufacturer.  My sister-in-law was the CFO for Greater Asia
for a mining truck manufacturer based near Bill E (CT)for over a year.
 You start a major trade war and all kinds of unforeseen consequences
start happening. Caterpillar equipment is very popular in China - I
saw a lot of Cat equipment on the train ride from Shanghai to Beijing.
Are we going to bailout the UAW in Peoria when the Chinese market for
CAT get's shutout? What about GM?  We, the taxpayers own GM. Shouldn't
we be a bit worried about retaliation against Shanghai Buick? What
about Boeing? This is a slippery slope we're being led down by someone
with a poor understanding of economics, or perhaps someone who
understands economics quite well but is really a Marxist.

Brad

-------------

US tyre duties spark China clash

By Geoff Dyer in Beijing and Tom Braithwaite in Washington

Published: September 13 2009 06:53 | Last updated: September 14 2009 11:57

A full-blown trade row erupted between the US and China after Beijing
accused Washington of ?rampant protectionism? for imposing heavy
duties on imported Chinese tyres and threatened action against imports
of US poultry and vehicles.

Trade relations between two of the world?s biggest economies
deteriorated after Barack Obama, US president, signed an order late on
Friday to impose a new duty of 35 per cent on Chinese tyre imports on
top of an existing 4 per cent tariff.

In his first big test on world trade since taking office in January,
Mr Obama sided with America?s trade unions, which have complained that
a ?surge? in imports of Chinese-made tyres had caused 7,000 job losses
among US factory workers.

Chen Deming, China?s minister of commerce, condemned the decision,
saying that it ?sends the wrong signal to the world? at a time when
Washington and Beijing should be co-operating to deal with the worst
economic and financial crisis in decades.

?This is a grave act of trade protectionism,? Mr Chen said in a
statement. ?Not only does it violate WTO rules, it contravenes
commitments the US government made at the [April] G20 financial
summit.?

Beijing said it had requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the US
over Washington?s new duties on tyres. Yao Jian, a commerce ministry
spokesman, said the duties were in ?violation of WTO rules?.

China said it would now investigate imports of US poultry and
vehicles, responding to complaints from domestic companies.

The US earlier warned Beijing against taking retaliatory action.
?Retaliation would be inappropriate, as the United States acted
entirely within the bounds of trade laws and within the safeguard
provision that China itself agreed to upon accession to the World
Trade Organisation,? said an official from the Office of the United
States Trade Representative.

US officials said they were scrutinising the export of poultry and
vehicles, but said any action in retaliation by China could result in
a complaint by the US to the WTO.

Key Tokyo rubber futures tumbled more than 9 per cent to a three-week
low on Monday, according to Reuters. News of the additional duties on
US tyre imports from China combined with sharply lower oil prices and
a stronger yen to push Tokyo rubber futures prices below Y200 a
kilogramme.

The dispute comes less than a fortnight before Mr Obama is due to host
world leaders at a summit of G20 nations in Pittsburgh and ahead of
his planned visit to China in November.

The decision to impose extra tyre tariffs followed a petition by the
United Steelworkers union, which represents workers at many US tyre
factories. Official US figures show an increase in imports by volume
from 14.6m tyres in 2004 to 46m in 2008. The US data shows that the
value of tyre imports from China increased from $453.3m in 2004 to
$1.8bn in 2008. Four US plants closed in 2006 and 2007 and three more
are likely to be closed this year. US production capacity has fallen
by 17.8 per cent in the past four years, according to the official
data.

Eswar Prasad, professor of trade economics at Cornell University,
warned that the disagreement could escalate. ?These protectionist
measures, some of which amount to domestic political posturing rather
than substantive restraints on trade, could easily ratchet up into a
full-blown trade war and inflict serious economic damage on both
countries,? he said.


From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 08:03:12 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:03:12 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
Message-ID: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>

You won't read this story in the New York Times -

http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z

BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
their jobs.  The whores are elected.

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 09:16:55 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:16:55 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>

The videos keep coming -

http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/

First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
to a tape with a new tape.

LMAO!

Brad

On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>
> BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
> their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>
> Brad
>

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 10:04:29 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:04:29 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Economics and War
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909140431s6a2c1ac2x9fe5d3581a861bec@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140431s6a2c1ac2x9fe5d3581a861bec@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909140704r7c56da1aj82e10d3d04451837@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

When you go to the doctor with circulation problems, does the doctor take
blood out of your leg and put it back into your arm to get that blood moving
around better??? Stupid right??? Does that kinda sound like cash for
clunkers???

I am just simply befuddled at the amount of people who don't and/or don't
want, to see how things always work out in countries with
socialist/facist/marxist regimes. It's happened a hundred times over the
centuries. It's written in the history books so much that it sticks out like
a sore thumb. You always end up with two classes of people. The 95%
(governees) to use one of Obama's favorite numbers. who take whatever scraps
the governing class doesn't waste on themselves. And the 5% of the boot
lickers who have curried favor with the governing class by throwing money or
other favors at the governers who live quite extravagantly and well.....
UNTIL they piss off the governer above them. Then if they're lucky they are
thrown out to spend their days in the bread line with the rest of the 95%
or, if they're not so fortunate, there always seems to be plenty of jail
space for those that have trouble agreeing with the party line. Sometimes if
things get bad enough these folks might even disappear ......

People can't/won't see that this administration is loaded with little
governers that are thinking along the lines laid out above. Look at the
people he surrounds himself with Van jones (self-avowed communist) Cass
Sunstein (Not a S/C justice yet, but I bet they try), Ron Bloom (union
boss/hack) deputy secratary of labor and the list goes on and on. Just look
at the name Mr. Obama has chosen to use for his closest advisors. Czars,
does it get anymore soviet than that??? 'Course, I guess Bush started that
in his admin. But I don't care, I just hate that we would even use such a
word. It's just one more step down the slippery slope of indoctrination.

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/08/out-commie-truther-green-jobs-czar-in-union-hack-manufacturing-czar/

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/11/the-cass-sunstein-vote/

The chinese say: May you live in interesting times. Personally, I hoping for
a little less "interesting" than this.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 6:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Here we go again.  For a quick refresher on history and economics, go here
> -
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act
>
> For a short story on the predictable folly of Cash-4-Clunkers go here -
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_bi_ge/us_life_after_clunkers
>
> Now, the looking out for special interests (steelworkers union) is
> starting to get really dangerous (see story below). We took Cora to
> the county fair yesterday and I stopped by the  New Holland dealer's
> equipment display.  The local dealer I bought my backhoe and
> skid-steer from and then shipped to Gulfport went out of business.
> The company that took over from them has gone out of business.  The
> local Case dealer recently went bankrupt (both Case and New Holland
> are owned by Fiat). We talked equipment and I made some complaints
> about our rubber tracked skid-steer's engineering (built in Kansas)
> and shared our "fixes" that my brother engineered in the field. We are
> extremely pleased with our New Holland backhoe (formerly Ford) that is
> built in Italy with a Cummins diesel engine (Indiana). The dealer
> asked if I was in the market for an excavator and I explained that we
> had one - a Hyundai, Korean designed, built outside of Beijing with a
> Mitsubishi engine and a Clark (US) drive train. If I were to buy
> another one it would be a Sany, designed in China with final  assembly
> done in Georgia with a Cummins engine. I don't buy Caterpillar or
> Komatsu because it is too expensive on the front-end.  You recoup that
> cost when you sell used but I don't plan to sell anything.  The bottom
> line is this - there is no such thing as a pure domestic construction
> equipment manufacturer.  My sister-in-law was the CFO for Greater Asia
> for a mining truck manufacturer based near Bill E (CT)for over a year.
>  You start a major trade war and all kinds of unforeseen consequences
> start happening. Caterpillar equipment is very popular in China - I
> saw a lot of Cat equipment on the train ride from Shanghai to Beijing.
> Are we going to bailout the UAW in Peoria when the Chinese market for
> CAT get's shutout? What about GM?  We, the taxpayers own GM. Shouldn't
> we be a bit worried about retaliation against Shanghai Buick? What
> about Boeing? This is a slippery slope we're being led down by someone
> with a poor understanding of economics, or perhaps someone who
> understands economics quite well but is really a Marxist.
>
> Brad
>
> -------------
>
> US tyre duties spark China clash
>
> By Geoff Dyer in Beijing and Tom Braithwaite in Washington
>
> Published: September 13 2009 06:53 | Last updated: September 14 2009 11:57
>
> A full-blown trade row erupted between the US and China after Beijing
> accused Washington of ?rampant protectionism? for imposing heavy
> duties on imported Chinese tyres and threatened action against imports
> of US poultry and vehicles.
>
> Trade relations between two of the world?s biggest economies
> deteriorated after Barack Obama, US president, signed an order late on
> Friday to impose a new duty of 35 per cent on Chinese tyre imports on
> top of an existing 4 per cent tariff.
>
> In his first big test on world trade since taking office in January,
> Mr Obama sided with America?s trade unions, which have complained that
> a ?surge? in imports of Chinese-made tyres had caused 7,000 job losses
> among US factory workers.
>
> Chen Deming, China?s minister of commerce, condemned the decision,
> saying that it ?sends the wrong signal to the world? at a time when
> Washington and Beijing should be co-operating to deal with the worst
> economic and financial crisis in decades.
>
> ?This is a grave act of trade protectionism,? Mr Chen said in a
> statement. ?Not only does it violate WTO rules, it contravenes
> commitments the US government made at the [April] G20 financial
> summit.?
>
> Beijing said it had requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the US
> over Washington?s new duties on tyres. Yao Jian, a commerce ministry
> spokesman, said the duties were in ?violation of WTO rules?.
>
> China said it would now investigate imports of US poultry and
> vehicles, responding to complaints from domestic companies.
>
> The US earlier warned Beijing against taking retaliatory action.
> ?Retaliation would be inappropriate, as the United States acted
> entirely within the bounds of trade laws and within the safeguard
> provision that China itself agreed to upon accession to the World
> Trade Organisation,? said an official from the Office of the United
> States Trade Representative.
>
> US officials said they were scrutinising the export of poultry and
> vehicles, but said any action in retaliation by China could result in
> a complaint by the US to the WTO.
>
> Key Tokyo rubber futures tumbled more than 9 per cent to a three-week
> low on Monday, according to Reuters. News of the additional duties on
> US tyre imports from China combined with sharply lower oil prices and
> a stronger yen to push Tokyo rubber futures prices below Y200 a
> kilogramme.
>
> The dispute comes less than a fortnight before Mr Obama is due to host
> world leaders at a summit of G20 nations in Pittsburgh and ahead of
> his planned visit to China in November.
>
> The decision to impose extra tyre tariffs followed a petition by the
> United Steelworkers union, which represents workers at many US tyre
> factories. Official US figures show an increase in imports by volume
> from 14.6m tyres in 2004 to 46m in 2008. The US data shows that the
> value of tyre imports from China increased from $453.3m in 2004 to
> $1.8bn in 2008. Four US plants closed in 2006 and 2007 and three more
> are likely to be closed this year. US production capacity has fallen
> by 17.8 per cent in the past four years, according to the official
> data.
>
> Eswar Prasad, professor of trade economics at Cornell University,
> warned that the disagreement could escalate. ?These protectionist
> measures, some of which amount to domestic political posturing rather
> than substantive restraints on trade, could easily ratchet up into a
> full-blown trade war and inflict serious economic damage on both
> countries,? he said.
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 10:32:18 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:32:18 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the street.
I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on this
path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.

I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these
people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad
loans...  and now this ....

What the hell are we doing????

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> The videos keep coming -
>
>
> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>
> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
> to a tape with a new tape.
>
> LMAO!
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
> >
> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
> >
> > Brad
> >
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
-------------- next part --------------
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 11:15:25 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:15:25 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't call
for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice Dept.
won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and then
drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in a
slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
for pointing out the obvious.

The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists, and
shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda thunk
that?

Brad

On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the street.
> I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on this
> path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
>
> I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
> before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these
> people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad
> loans...  and now this ....
>
> What the hell are we doing????
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The videos keep coming -
>>
>>
>> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>>
>> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
>> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
>> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
>> to a tape with a new tape.
>>
>> LMAO!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>> >
>> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>> >
>> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
>> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>> >
>> > Brad
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 12:51:50 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:51:50 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

"Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's quite
obvious!!

I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress this next
election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries here
instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't call
> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice Dept.
> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and then
> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in a
> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
> for pointing out the obvious.
>
> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists, and
> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda thunk
> that?
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the
> street.
> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on
> this
> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
> >
> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these
> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad
> > loans...  and now this ....
> >
> > What the hell are we doing????
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> The videos keep coming -
> >>
> >>
> >>
> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
> >>
> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
> >> to a tape with a new tape.
> >>
> >> LMAO!
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
> >> >
> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
> >> >
> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
> >> >
> >> > Brad
> >> >
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 13:01:23 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:01:23 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909141001xcdbe54h1db7dc788f793228@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Come on down!  I've got a building you can store your boat in at
Gulfport, as well as a roof over your camper.  A two hour drive away
is the condo we hope to close on soon in Destin, FL.  I've got enough
ammo to shoot our way out of Memphis to the sailboat on Pickwick Lake.
 The one thing we lack is farmland.  I might want to revisit that
choice since "retirement" from gentleman farming a dozen years ago.

Who's in charge of designing the new flag?

Brad



On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> "Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's quite
> obvious!!
>
> I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress this next
> election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries here
> instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Rik,
>>
>> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
>> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't call
>> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
>> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
>> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
>> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice Dept.
>> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and then
>> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in a
>> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
>> for pointing out the obvious.
>>
>> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists, and
>> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda thunk
>> that?
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Brad,
>> >
>> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the
>> street.
>> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on
>> this
>> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
>> >
>> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
>> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these
>> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad
>> > loans...  and now this ....
>> >
>> > What the hell are we doing????
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> The videos keep coming -
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>> >>
>> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
>> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
>> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
>> >> to a tape with a new tape.
>> >>
>> >> LMAO!
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>> >> >
>> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>> >> >
>> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
>> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>> >> >
>> >> > Brad
>> >> >
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Mon Sep 14 13:13:33 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:13:33 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <196889.19733.qm@web111202.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

>What the hell are we doing????
We are being non-jugdmental,....welcome to the world or relativism, where nothing is ever wrong.....it's all relative...what is wrong to you is not to someone more liberal...we have no absolutes anymore.
elle

--- On Mon, 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 10:32 AM

Brad,

Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the street. I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on this path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.


I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN, before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad loans...? and now this ....


What the hell are we doing????

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

The videos keep coming -



http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/



First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the

employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC. ?I wonder how many

more tapes are out there? ?These "kids" are answering every challenge

to a tape with a new tape.



LMAO!



Brad



On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> You won't read this story in the New York Times -

>

> http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z

>

> BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into

> their jobs. ?The whores are elected.

>

> Brad

>

_______________________________________________

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-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington




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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Mon Sep 14 13:08:37 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:08:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909132109w42fa1995w7ebbf5d0713e0999@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <536360.55562.qm@web111203.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

And who owns OnStar??
Would that be GM?
And who controls GM?
HMMMM...;^)

elle

--- On Mon, 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 12:09 AM

Elle,

No apologies necessary. We all have to catch up at one time or another, Like I'm doing right now. :-)

"and people pay for it...willingly..."

Not all of us pay for it willingly. I won't have it for the reason you imply. GPS is shut off in my phone too.

Way too many people know where I am already!!

Rik

On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 1:47 PM, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:


It's already there...and people pay for it...willingly...
?
On Star.
?
?
?
My apologies if someone has already posted to this effect...I'm a month behind & catching up slowly...
?
elle

--- On Tue, 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Joe the Plumber

To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 12:39 PM



Brad,

This is getting repetitious ...... Well, DUH!!!

Why in the world would we need to create a new way to collect a highway tax. Especially one as expensive and complicated to start up as this GPS thing they are talking about???


RAISE THE TAX YOU ALREADY HAVE. Good grief, the road use (fuel) tax is one of the fairest taxes we have in this country. You pay for what you use. You use less, you pay less. Poor people can buy a car that runs cheaper so that they not only pay for less fuel, but pay less taxes too. Why are people trying to replace this very simple tax with some expensive to implement, difficult to administer, technology intensive pain in the ass???


Besides, it ain't nobody's business where the hell we go. Somebody ought'a have a constitutional issue with this GPS thing!!!

Rik


On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 11:18 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:


Rik,

This is as good a place as any to report this 'gubment jewel' -


http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2009/Aug09/080309/080309-01.htm

Mo taxes! ?What could possibly go wrong? ?Ask "Joe the Plumber" about

public officials releasing information in an attempt to destroy a
private citizen for political reasons. ?So the 'gubmint' gets access
to all your health records, the IRS already has your financial
records, and now the DOT wants to record EVERYWHERE you drive.

Orwell's imagination wasn't this prolific!

Brad




On 8/4/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Well DUH!!!

>
> A revelation by the new administration .... the rich can't support the whole
> world. Hell, I sat down back when Bush was still president and figured that
> out in about a half hour, when all the liberals were whining about the Bush

> tax cuts. But now, the bill is a hell of a lot bigger and will get bigger
> still if the messiah get his way. Whether the rich could cover this isn't
> even debatable. It wasn't even close BEFORE this last round of

> unconscionable spending.
>
> And of course they want a VAT and a 10% VAT, at that, that's huge!!. They
> certainly wouldn't have the balls to put on a straight sales tax. A tax
 that
> would be transparent .... remember transparency??? One of the messiah's
> great promises??
>
> If this man is not stopped soon, none of us will have anything left worth
> saving.

>
> Rik
>
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 7:28 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>> ".......the feds could take 100% of the taxable income of everyone in
>> America earning more than $500,000 and still have raised only $1.3
>> trillion even in the boom year of 2006. The rich are fewer and less

>> rich now, while the Obama budget is nearly $4 trillion....."
>>
>> Think about that for a moment. ?You've been had. ?Well maybe not you,
>> but 53% were had.
>>
>>
 Brad
>>
>> -------------------
>>
>> from the WSJ
>>
>> ? ?* AUGUST 3, 2009, 8:08 P.M. ET
>>
>> Teeing Up the Middle Class
>> Joe the Plumber?s tax vindication is nigh.

>>
>>
>> Few of President Obama?s 2008 campaign pledges were more definitive
>> than his vow that anyone making less than $250,000 a year ?will not
>> see their taxes increase by a single dime? if he was elected. And he

>> was right, very strictly speaking: It?s going to be many, many, many
>> billions of dimes.
>>
>> Asked about raising taxes on the middle class on Sunday on CBS?s ?Face
>> the Nation,? White House economist Larry Summers wouldn?t repeat Mr.

>> Obama?s pre-election promise. ?It is never a good idea to absolutely
>> rule things out no matter what,? Mr.
 Summers said?except, apparently,
>> when his boss is running for office. Meanwhile, on ABC?s ?This Week,?
>> Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also slid around Mr. Obama?s vow
>> and said, ?We have to bring these deficits down very dramatically. And

>> that?s going to require some very hard choices.?
>>
>> These aren?t even nondenial denials. The Obama advisers are laying the
>> groundwork for taxing the middle class while claiming the deficit made

>> them do it.
>>
>> The liberal establishment is even further along in finally admitting
>> that Mr. Obama wasn?t, er, telling the truth. A piece in the New York
>> Times over the weekend declared in a headline that ?the Rich Can?t Pay

>> for Everything, Analysts Say.? And it quoted Leonard Burman, a veteran
>> of the Clinton Treasury who now runs the
 Brookings Tax Policy Center,
>> as saying that ?This idea that everything new that government provides
>> ought to be paid for by the top 5%, that?s a basically unstable way of
>> governing.? They?re right, but where were they during the campaign?

>>
>>
>> In an editorial on February 26, ?The 2% Illusion,? we wrote that the
>> feds could take 100% of the taxable income of everyone in America
>> earning more than $500,000 and still have raised only $1.3 trillion

>> even in the boom year of 2006. The rich are fewer and less rich now,
>> while the Obama budget is nearly $4 trillion.
>>
>> Democrats already plan to repeal the Bush tax cuts, but that won?t

>> raise enough money. So they?re proposing an income tax surcharge on
>> ?the wealthy,? but that won?t raise enough either. Democrats have no
>>
 choice but to soak the middle class because only they have enough
>> money to finance the liberal dream of yoking the middle class to
>> cradle-to-grave government entitlements.
>>
>> Democrats have already taxed the middle class by raising cigarette

>> taxes to pay for the children?s health-care expansion. They?re also
>> teeing up average earners with their cap-and-tax energy bill. Mr.
>> Obama had hoped that cap-and-tax would raise some $646 billion over a

>> decade, but Democrats in the House had to give most of that away in
>> bribes to business to pass their bill. To finance ObamaCare, they?re
>> also proposing another 10-percentage-point increase in the payroll tax

>> on firms and individuals that don?t purchase health insurance. But
>> this won?t raise enough money either.
>>
>> So waiting in the wings is the
 biggest middle-class tax increase of
>> them all: a European-style value added tax, or VAT. This tax would
>> apply to every level of production or service, and it is beloved by
>> politicians in Europe because it raises so much money so easily

>> without voters noticing. Ezekiel Emanuel, a White House aide and
>> brother of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, has advocated a 10% VAT to
>> finance national health care. Look for a VAT to be one of the

>> prominent options when Mr. Obama?s tax reform commission issues its
>> report later this year.
>>
>> The undeniable reality is that you can?t run a European-style
>> welfare-entitlement state without European-style levels of taxation on

>> the middle class (and eventually without low European-style growth and
>> high jobless rates). It?s looking more and more like Mr. Obama?s
>>
 no-middle-class-tax pledge was one of the greatest confidence tricks
>> in American political history.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list

>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette

>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot
> rely on some authority to take care of them and still be free. ?It is a
> truism that with freedom
 comes responsibility. ?It is also true that freedom
> only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject the
> premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other

> people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker
>

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SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
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-- 
"Like children, Americans will sooner or later discover that they cannot rely
 on some authority to take care of them and still be free. ?It is a truism that with freedom comes responsibility. ?It is also true that freedom only lasts if people take responsibility for their activities and reject the premise that their lives should be made easier at the expense of other people's freedom.".... Brandon Crocker



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-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington



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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 17:03:58 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:03:58 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <196889.19733.qm@web111202.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
References: <6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<196889.19733.qm@web111202.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909141403p44aadb02s47aa3e2cfb8e7014@mail.gmail.com>

Elle,

The real story here is not the corruption, though there's plenty of
corruption.  It isn't prostitution, though there's the potential for
that as well.  The REAL STORY is that the MSM looks the other way.
They have a mission and 'by gawd' this story doesn't fit their meme.
Just like Van Jones wasn't "attacked" by Republicans, he said what he
said.  All you had to do was Google "Van Jones" and everything he was
and stood for was there for you on YouTube to judge for yourself.
They wouldn't do it!  Somewhere between "thousands" and two million
marched on Washington, DC over the weekend and all the MSM can talk
about is whether the crowd had racial overtones.  Never mind it might
have been the largest mass protest in the nations history.  From the
MSM's perspective, it didn't happen, but if it did happen, it was
racial.

If I or any other mediocre business student were hired to "rescue" a
newspaper, the first thing I'd do is identify the "core" business like
any other profit seeking institution and focus on the core.  What are
news agencies supposed to do?  Report news.  Let's try focusing on
that and see if it works.  They won't do it!  They are on a mission
and only a federal bailout will save them.  Guess what?  They'll
probably get one!

Brad

On 9/14/09, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>What the hell are we doing????
> We are being non-jugdmental,....welcome to the world or relativism, where
> nothing is ever wrong.....it's all relative...what is wrong to you is not to
> someone more liberal...we have no absolutes anymore.
> elle
>
> --- On Mon, 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
> To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 10:32 AM
>
> Brad,
>
> Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the street.
> I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on this
> path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
>
>
> I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
> before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these
> people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad
> loans...  and now this ....
>
>
> What the hell are we doing????
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The videos keep coming -
>
>
>
> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>
>
>
> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
>
> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
>
> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
>
> to a tape with a new tape.
>
>
>
> LMAO!
>
>
>
> Brad
>
>
>
> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>
>>
>
>> http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>
>>
>
>> BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
>
>> their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>
>>
>
>> Brad
>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
>
>
>
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>
>
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 20:10:52 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:10:52 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <196889.19733.qm@web111202.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
References: <6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<196889.19733.qm@web111202.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909141710h25fb046bk1b60b4c01646165e@mail.gmail.com>

Elle,

"We are being non-jugdmental"

Well, I guess it is possible to be non-judgmental and stupid simultaneously.

And by God if it isn't possible then we're accomplishing the impossible.
Surely a feat few can manage.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:13 PM, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:

> >What the hell are we doing????
> We are being non-jugdmental,....welcome to the world or relativism, where
> nothing is ever wrong.....it's all relative...what is wrong to you is not to
> someone more liberal...we have no absolutes anymore.
>
> elle
>
> --- On *Mon, 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
> To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 10:32 AM
>
>
> Brad,
>
> Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the street.
> I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on this
> path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
>
> I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
> before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these
> people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad
> loans...  and now this ....
>
> What the hell are we doing????
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com<http://mc/compose?to=flybrad at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
>> The videos keep coming -
>>
>>
>> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>>
>> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
>> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how many
>> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
>> to a tape with a new tape.
>>
>> LMAO!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com<http://mc/compose?to=flybrad at gmail.com>>
>> wrote:
>> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>> >
>> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>> >
>> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into
>> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>> >
>> > Brad
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com<http://mc/compose?to=SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
>
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com<http://mc/compose?to=SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 20:16:06 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:16:06 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909141001xcdbe54h1db7dc788f793228@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909141001xcdbe54h1db7dc788f793228@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909141716q1f709e44pc791de215daabacd@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Careful what you wish for. I'm gettin' about frustrated enough to take you
up on that. Have to leave my "farm ground" behind though.

Elle is pretty artistic.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> Come on down!  I've got a building you can store your boat in at
> Gulfport, as well as a roof over your camper.  A two hour drive away
> is the condo we hope to close on soon in Destin, FL.  I've got enough
> ammo to shoot our way out of Memphis to the sailboat on Pickwick Lake.
>  The one thing we lack is farmland.  I might want to revisit that
> choice since "retirement" from gentleman farming a dozen years ago.
>
> Who's in charge of designing the new flag?
>
> Brad
>
>
>
> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > "Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's quite
> > obvious!!
> >
> > I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress this
> next
> > election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries here
> > instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Rik,
> >>
> >> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
> >> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't call
> >> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
> >> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
> >> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
> >> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice Dept.
> >> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and then
> >> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in a
> >> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
> >> for pointing out the obvious.
> >>
> >> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists, and
> >> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda thunk
> >> that?
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > Brad,
> >> >
> >> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the
> >> street.
> >> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on
> >> this
> >> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
> >> >
> >> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN,
> >> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to
> these
> >> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making
> bad
> >> > loans...  and now this ....
> >> >
> >> > What the hell are we doing????
> >> >
> >> > Rik
> >> >
> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> The videos keep coming -
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
> >> >>
> >> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
> >> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how
> many
> >> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every challenge
> >> >> to a tape with a new tape.
> >> >>
> >> >> LMAO!
> >> >>
> >> >> Brad
> >> >>
> >> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
> >> >> >
> >> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
> >> >> >
> >> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced
> into
> >> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Brad
> >> >> >
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> fire,
> >> it
> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >> >
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 20:50:05 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:50:05 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909141716q1f709e44pc791de215daabacd@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909141001xcdbe54h1db7dc788f793228@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909141716q1f709e44pc791de215daabacd@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909141750i72dc9c18s23de818e29d91758@mail.gmail.com>

Alrighty!  The Senate responds 83 to 7 to defund ACORN.  Let's see
what the People's Republic of Pelosi does with it now.

http://biggovernment.com/

Brad


On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Careful what you wish for. I'm gettin' about frustrated enough to take you
> up on that. Have to leave my "farm ground" behind though.
>
> Elle is pretty artistic.
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Rik,
>>
>> Come on down!  I've got a building you can store your boat in at
>> Gulfport, as well as a roof over your camper.  A two hour drive away
>> is the condo we hope to close on soon in Destin, FL.  I've got enough
>> ammo to shoot our way out of Memphis to the sailboat on Pickwick Lake.
>>  The one thing we lack is farmland.  I might want to revisit that
>> choice since "retirement" from gentleman farming a dozen years ago.
>>
>> Who's in charge of designing the new flag?
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Brad,
>> >
>> > "Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's quite
>> > obvious!!
>> >
>> > I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress this
>> next
>> > election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries here
>> > instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Rik,
>> >>
>> >> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
>> >> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't call
>> >> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
>> >> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
>> >> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
>> >> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice Dept.
>> >> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and then
>> >> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in a
>> >> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
>> >> for pointing out the obvious.
>> >>
>> >> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists, and
>> >> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda thunk
>> >> that?
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> > Brad,
>> >> >
>> >> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the
>> >> street.
>> >> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years
>> >> > on
>> >> this
>> >> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
>> >> >
>> >> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support
>> >> > ACORN,
>> >> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to
>> these
>> >> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making
>> bad
>> >> > loans...  and now this ....
>> >> >
>> >> > What the hell are we doing????
>> >> >
>> >> > Rik
>> >> >
>> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> The videos keep coming -
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>> >> >>
>> >> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
>> >> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how
>> many
>> >> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every
>> >> >> challenge
>> >> >> to a tape with a new tape.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> LMAO!
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Brad
>> >> >>
>> >> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced
>> into
>> >> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Brad
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
>> fire,
>> >> it
>> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 22:16:35 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:16:35 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909141750i72dc9c18s23de818e29d91758@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909141001xcdbe54h1db7dc788f793228@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909141716q1f709e44pc791de215daabacd@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909141750i72dc9c18s23de818e29d91758@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909141916h7aaf3f2avbaeebe1d6004bb94@mail.gmail.com>

By God it's about time somebody did it!!

Veto proof too, from the look of it.

Good job!

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 7:50 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Alrighty!  The Senate responds 83 to 7 to defund ACORN.  Let's see
> what the People's Republic of Pelosi does with it now.
>
> http://biggovernment.com/
>
> Brad
>
>
> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > Careful what you wish for. I'm gettin' about frustrated enough to take
> you
> > up on that. Have to leave my "farm ground" behind though.
> >
> > Elle is pretty artistic.
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Rik,
> >>
> >> Come on down!  I've got a building you can store your boat in at
> >> Gulfport, as well as a roof over your camper.  A two hour drive away
> >> is the condo we hope to close on soon in Destin, FL.  I've got enough
> >> ammo to shoot our way out of Memphis to the sailboat on Pickwick Lake.
> >>  The one thing we lack is farmland.  I might want to revisit that
> >> choice since "retirement" from gentleman farming a dozen years ago.
> >>
> >> Who's in charge of designing the new flag?
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > Brad,
> >> >
> >> > "Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's quite
> >> > obvious!!
> >> >
> >> > I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress
> this
> >> next
> >> > election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries
> here
> >> > instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.
> >> >
> >> > Rik
> >> >
> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Rik,
> >> >>
> >> >> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
> >> >> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't call
> >> >> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
> >> >> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
> >> >> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
> >> >> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice Dept.
> >> >> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and then
> >> >> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in
> a
> >> >> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
> >> >> for pointing out the obvious.
> >> >>
> >> >> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists, and
> >> >> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda
> thunk
> >> >> that?
> >> >>
> >> >> Brad
> >> >>
> >> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> > Brad,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the
> >> >> street.
> >> >> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years
> >> >> > on
> >> >> this
> >> >> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support
> >> >> > ACORN,
> >> >> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to
> >> these
> >> >> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making
> >> bad
> >> >> > loans...  and now this ....
> >> >> >
> >> >> > What the hell are we doing????
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Rik
> >> >> >
> >> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> The videos keep coming -
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
> >> >> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how
> >> many
> >> >> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every
> >> >> >> challenge
> >> >> >> to a tape with a new tape.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> LMAO!
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Brad
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced
> >> into
> >> >> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > Brad
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > --
> >> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> >> fire,
> >> >> it
> >> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> fire,
> >> it
> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >> >
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 22:24:57 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:24:57 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cleaning House
Message-ID: <400985d70909141924s30f1e020u3875dd5323120878@mail.gmail.com>

Look at the attached photos.  The first is after the 9/12 Tea Party on
the Mall.  The second is after the The One's inauguration.  I've
decided what we really need is a new political party - the GO-P.  Go
Palin!  Everyone loved Sarah when she was cleaning Republican clocks
in Alaska, which she did quite well. It won't do any good to replace
the current House of Crooks if we just replace them with a new bunch
of crooks.  I'd like to see Sarah & Todd secure their financial future
with a good selling book and then turn loose the 'Cuda' on the GOP,
again.  The Dem's are melting on their own.

Brad
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 22:26:24 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:26:24 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cleaning House
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909141924s30f1e020u3875dd5323120878@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909141924s30f1e020u3875dd5323120878@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909141926t2b41dbe9ob1d364e90a4da6dd@mail.gmail.com>

Here's the first photo - didn't post for some reason.

On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> Look at the attached photos.  The first is after the 9/12 Tea Party on
> the Mall.  The second is after the The One's inauguration.  I've
> decided what we really need is a new political party - the GO-P.  Go
> Palin!  Everyone loved Sarah when she was cleaning Republican clocks
> in Alaska, which she did quite well. It won't do any good to replace
> the current House of Crooks if we just replace them with a new bunch
> of crooks.  I'd like to see Sarah & Todd secure their financial future
> with a good selling book and then turn loose the 'Cuda' on the GOP,
> again.  The Dem's are melting on their own.
>
> Brad
>
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 22:38:04 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:38:04 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cleaning House
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909141924s30f1e020u3875dd5323120878@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909141924s30f1e020u3875dd5323120878@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909141938l73fb131q50868c973c5f2c9c@mail.gmail.com>

Isn't the difference in behavior between people who think lunch is free and
those who know it isn't amazing??

Go Sarah!!

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 9:24 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Look at the attached photos.  The first is after the 9/12 Tea Party on
> the Mall.  The second is after the The One's inauguration.  I've
> decided what we really need is a new political party - the GO-P.  Go
> Palin!  Everyone loved Sarah when she was cleaning Republican clocks
> in Alaska, which she did quite well. It won't do any good to replace
> the current House of Crooks if we just replace them with a new bunch
> of crooks.  I'd like to see Sarah & Todd secure their financial future
> with a good selling book and then turn loose the 'Cuda' on the GOP,
> again.  The Dem's are melting on their own.
>
> Brad
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 14 22:38:28 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:38:28 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Czars You Can Believe In!
Message-ID: <400985d70909141938l715dae85u22693506f22a5a7@mail.gmail.com>

Yeah baby!  You got my vote!

Brad
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Tue Sep 15 06:00:15 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:00:15 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Keeping Rik informed ...
Message-ID: <30A22D4BB86F41A7988EF1805D1FB5C7@YOURB88038198E>

The following is circulating the internet.  Have not checked its validity.  Maybe our post watcher, Mike W. will check it out.

I really do not expect it to succeed.  Everything that I have seen shows Obama was born in Hawaii, where his grandparents lived at the time.  Anything related to his actions prior to age 21 would probably not count.  At age 21 or shortly thereafter, it is up to him to declare his citizenship and not his step father.  

As all know I am not an Obama fan, but it appears that he skates thru on this one.  Can we revoke his citizenship because he is a Marxist?  We did not do that to his idol, W.E.B. Dubose.  

However, I would support a charge of Treason because I believe that Marxism would come under Treason in the Constitution.  Marxism goes beyond free speech but rather advocates the Constitutions abolition.

Ed K


Fed. Judge Carter sets Trial Date for Obama's Eligibility!!!
 The expedited trial has been set for Jan. 26, 2010, just 4 1/2 months from now!

  I and many other concerned veterans and citizens attended the hearing today in Federal Court in Santa Ana in the lawsuit against Barack Obama to determine his eligibility to be President and Commander in Chief.  About 150 people showed up, almost all in support of the lawsuit to demand that Obama release his birth certificate and other records that he has hidden from the American people.. 

Judge David Carter refused to hear Obama's request for dismissal today, instead setting a hearing date for Oct. 5, since Obama's attorneys had just filed the motion on Friday.  He indicated there was almost no chance that this case would be dismissed.  Obama is arguing this lawsuit was filed in the wrong court if you can believe that.  I guess Obama would prefer a "kangaroo court" instead of a Federal court!  Assuming Judge Carter denies Obama's motion for dismissal, he will likely then order expedited discovery which will force Obama to release his birth certificate in a timely manner (if he has one). 

The judge, who is a former U.S. Marine, repeated several times that this is a very serious case which must be resolved quickly so that the troops know that their Commander in Chief is eligible to hold that position and issue lawful orders to our military in this time of war.  He basically said Obama must prove his eligibility to the court!  He said Americans deserve to know the truth about their President! 

The two U.S. Attorneys representing Barack Obama tried everything they could to sway the judge that this case was frivolous, but Carter would have none of it and cut them off several times.  Obama's attorneys left the courtroom after about the 90 minute hearing looking defeated and nervous. 

Great day in America for the U.S. Constitution!!!   The truth about Barack Obama's eligibility will be known fairly soon - Judge Carter practically guaranteed it! 

Video from the press conference after the hearing coming soon.  Congratulations to plaintiffs attorney Dr. Orly Taitz!  She did a great job and won some huge victories today.  She was fearless! 

Jeff Schwilk, Founder
www.SanDiegoMinutemen.com 
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 07:58:47 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:58:47 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Keeping Rik informed ...
In-Reply-To: <30A22D4BB86F41A7988EF1805D1FB5C7@YOURB88038198E>
References: <30A22D4BB86F41A7988EF1805D1FB5C7@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909150458m45a94ccal5be5565048de8b9b@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

I do agree that this issue should be gotten to the bottom of. However, IF
Barack Obama is found ineligible to be the president, where does that leave
us? Yup..... Joe, the other half of dumb and dumber.

Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to.... get free lunch.

Truth be known, even if the court decides he is eligible. Those who don't
believe it aren't going to change their minds anyway. They'll keep grumbling
and bitching until the man is gone and probably then some.

Rik




On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 5:00 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>  The following is circulating the internet.  Have not checked its
> validity.  Maybe our post watcher, Mike W. will check it out.
>
> I really do not expect it to succeed.  Everything that I have seen shows
> Obama was born in Hawaii, where his grandparents lived at the time.
> Anything related to his actions prior to age 21 would probably not count.
> At age 21 or shortly thereafter, it is up to him to declare his citizenship
> and not his step father.
>
> As all know I am not an Obama fan, but it appears that he skates thru on
> this one.  Can we revoke his citizenship because he is a Marxist?  We did
> not do that to his idol, W.E.B. Dubose.
>
> However, I would support a charge of Treason because I believe that Marxism
> would come under Treason in the Constitution.  Marxism goes beyond free
> speech but rather advocates the Constitutions abolition.
>
> Ed K
>
>
> Fed. Judge Carter sets Trial Date for Obama's Eligibility!!!
>
>  The expedited trial has been set for Jan. 26, 2010, just 4 1/2 months from
> now!
>
>   I and many other concerned veterans and citizens attended the hearing
> today in Federal Court in Santa Ana in the lawsuit against Barack Obama to
> determine his eligibility to be President and Commander in Chief.  About 150
> people showed up, almost all in support of the lawsuit to demand that Obama
> release his birth certificate and other records that he has hidden from the
> American people..
>
> Judge David Carter refused to hear Obama's request for dismissal today,
> instead setting a hearing date for Oct. 5, since Obama's attorneys had just
> filed the motion on Friday.  He indicated there was almost no chance that
> this case would be dismissed.  Obama is arguing this lawsuit was filed in
> the wrong court if you can believe that.  I guess Obama would prefer a
> "kangaroo court" instead of a Federal court!  Assuming Judge Carter denies
> Obama's motion for dismissal, he will likely then order expedited discovery
> which will force Obama to release his birth certificate in a timely
> manner (if he has one).
>
> The judge, who is a former U.S. Marine, repeated several times that this is
> a very serious case which must be resolved quickly so that the troops know
> that their Commander in Chief is eligible to hold that position and issue
> lawful orders to our military in this time of war.  He basically said Obama
> must prove his eligibility to the court!  He said Americans deserve to know
> the truth about their President!
>
> The two U.S. Attorneys representing Barack Obama tried everything they
> could to sway the judge that this case was frivolous, but Carter would have
> none of it and cut them off several times.  Obama's attorneys left the
> courtroom after about the 90 minute hearing looking defeated and nervous.
>
> Great day in America for the U.S. Constitution!!!   The truth about Barack
> Obama's eligibility will be known fairly soon - Judge Carter practically
> guaranteed it!
>
> Video from the press conference after the hearing coming soon.
> Congratulations to plaintiffs attorney Dr. Orly Taitz!  She did a great job
> and won some huge victories today.  She was fearless!
>
> Jeff Schwilk, Founder
> www.SanDiegoMinutemen.com <http://www.sandiegominutemen.com/>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 09:13:21 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:13:21 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Economics and War
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909140704r7c56da1aj82e10d3d04451837@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140431s6a2c1ac2x9fe5d3581a861bec@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140704r7c56da1aj82e10d3d04451837@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909150613k35017a41s67178e08c69d8752@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Posted below is an article from today's WSJ.  Hoover was wrong,  Bush
43 was wrong when he put tariffs on steel, and Obama is clueless.
China holds over 700 Billion US dollars in reserve. Who's being a
reckless cowboy now?  For all of The One's tough Chicago style talk,
he's bringing a knife to a gunfight.  This will not end well.  There's
tons of bad economic news published today from foreign sources.  The
US media is still promoting "happy days are here again" and we'll fuel
our cars on unicorn farts. Obama goes on "60 Minutes" over the weekend
and says the only way we can solve our countries debt problem (because
of unfunded liabilities for health care) is to borrow more money to
expand eligibility for health care.  Huh?  Run that by me again, I may
have skipped that day of class.

Brad

-------------

    * SEPTEMBER 15, 2009, 5:53 A.M. ET

A Protectionist President
Like Hoover, Obama is abdicating U.S. trade leadership.


President Obama traveled to Wall Street yesterday to press his case
for more financial regulation, but the bigger economic issue of the
day concerned other White House policies. To wit, what does it mean
for the world economy if America now has its first protectionist
President since Herbert Hoover?

The smell of trade war is suddenly in the air. Mr. Obama slapped a 35%
tariff on Chinese tires Friday night, and China responded on the
weekend by threatening to retaliate against U.S. chickens and auto
parts. That followed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's demand on
Thursday that Europe impose a carbon tariff on imports from countries
that don't follow its cap-and-trade diktats. "We need to impose a
carbon tax at [Europe's] border. I will lead that battle," he said.
[Protectionist]

Mr. Sarkozy was following U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who has
endorsed a carbon tax on imports, and the U.S. House of
Representatives, which passed a carbon tariff as part of its
cap-and-tax bill. This in turn followed the "Buy American" provisions
of the stimulus, which has incensed much of Canada; Congress's bill to
ban Mexican trucks from U.S. roads in direct violation of Nafta,
prompting Mexico to retaliate against U.S. farm and kitchen goods; and
the must-make-cars-in-America provisions of the auto bailouts.
Meanwhile, U.S. trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea
languish in Congress.

Through all of this Mr. Obama has either said nothing or objected so
feebly that Congress has assumed he doesn't mean it. Despite his
pro-forma demurrals, Mr. Obama's actions and nonactions are telling
the world that the U.S. is abandoning the global leadership on trade
that Presidents of both parties have worked to maintain since the
1930s. His advisers whisper that their man is merely playing a little
tactical domestic politics, but he is playing with fire, as the last
80 years of trade history should tell him.
***

The modern free-trade era began during the Great Depression, after the
catastrophe of the Smoot-Hawley tariff of June 1930. Hoover also
thought he was shrewdly playing tactical politics by adopting a tariff
that the economist Joseph Schumpeter said was the "household remedy"
of the Republican Party at the time. But the tariff ignited a
beggar-thy-neighbor reaction around the world, and the flow of global
goods and services collapsed.


FDR's Secretary of State Cordell Hull recognized the damage, and he
began rebuilding a pro-trade consensus with a series of bilateral
accords in the 1930s. In the aftermath of World War II, John Maynard
Keynes, Harry Dexter White and others on both sides of the Atlantic
continued this progress by negotiating the Bretton Woods currency
accords and creating the Global Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

Like Britain in the 19th century, the U.S. has been the linchpin of
this liberal trading order that despite occasional setbacks has moved
in the direction of lower tariffs and fewer nontariff barriers. As the
world's largest economy, the U.S. has largely kept its market open,
using access to U.S. consumers as a lever to open other countries to
foreign goods and services. Even as Big Labor broke with this
consensus, Bill Clinton continued this bipartisan tradition by
supporting Nafta, and prodding Congress to ratify the World Trade
Organization and most-favored nation trading status for China.

Following America's lead, countries that were once largely closed
economically?especially China and India?have in turn opened up to
foreign goods and services. The result has been an explosion in world
trade, especially since the 1980s, as the nearby chart makes clear.
This boom has coincided with rising incomes in countries connected by
trade and the free flow of capital, especially in the developing world
but also in America. While some U.S. jobs have vanished, new
industries have emerged, and the U.S. has maintained its lead in
manufacturing productivity.
***

This 80-year history of free-trade progress is now under threat from
the global recession and Mr. Obama's abdication of U.S. leadership.
Labor's antitrade views now dominate in the Democratic Congress and
liberal think tanks. As ominous, protectionism is increasingly
justified by Democratic economists on political grounds.

Paul Krugman, the chief economist for House Democrats, has endorsed a
carbon tariff. And Clyde Prestowitz, who insisted in the 1980s that
Japanese mercantilism would rule the world, went so far as to argue in
the Financial Times last week that imposing tariffs on China would
strike a blow for free trade. As economic logic, this compares to the
argument that the way to reduce government health-care spending is to
pass a new trillion-dollar entitlement.

President Bush and his trade negotiator Robert Zoellick also claimed
that the protectionism of their 2001 steel tariffs would lead to more
free-trade support, but the move merely exposed U.S. hypocrisy and
undermined global trade talks. The reality is that without the U.S.
leading by example, the world trading order is likely to deteriorate
into every country for itself. This is especially dangerous amid a
global recession in which world merchandise trade volume fell by
roughly 33% from the second quarter of 2008 to June 2009. Reviving
trade flows is crucial to restoring global growth.

Mr. Obama may not intend to start a trade war, but then Hoover didn't
set out to pick one either. His political abdication is what made it
possible, however, and trade passions once unleashed can be impossible
to control. On his present course, President Obama is giving the world
every reason to conclude he is a protectionist.



On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> When you go to the doctor with circulation problems, does the doctor take
> blood out of your leg and put it back into your arm to get that blood moving
> around better??? Stupid right??? Does that kinda sound like cash for
> clunkers???
>
> I am just simply befuddled at the amount of people who don't and/or don't
> want, to see how things always work out in countries with
> socialist/facist/marxist regimes. It's happened a hundred times over the
> centuries. It's written in the history books so much that it sticks out like
> a sore thumb. You always end up with two classes of people. The 95%
> (governees) to use one of Obama's favorite numbers. who take whatever scraps
> the governing class doesn't waste on themselves. And the 5% of the boot
> lickers who have curried favor with the governing class by throwing money or
> other favors at the governers who live quite extravagantly and well.....
> UNTIL they piss off the governer above them. Then if they're lucky they are
> thrown out to spend their days in the bread line with the rest of the 95%
> or, if they're not so fortunate, there always seems to be plenty of jail
> space for those that have trouble agreeing with the party line. Sometimes if
> things get bad enough these folks might even disappear ......
>
> People can't/won't see that this administration is loaded with little
> governers that are thinking along the lines laid out above. Look at the
> people he surrounds himself with Van jones (self-avowed communist) Cass
> Sunstein (Not a S/C justice yet, but I bet they try), Ron Bloom (union
> boss/hack) deputy secratary of labor and the list goes on and on. Just look
> at the name Mr. Obama has chosen to use for his closest advisors. Czars,
> does it get anymore soviet than that??? 'Course, I guess Bush started that
> in his admin. But I don't care, I just hate that we would even use such a
> word. It's just one more step down the slippery slope of indoctrination.
>
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/08/out-commie-truther-green-jobs-czar-in-union-hack-manufacturing-czar/
>
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/11/the-cass-sunstein-vote/
>
> The chinese say: May you live in interesting times. Personally, I hoping for
> a little less "interesting" than this.
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 6:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Here we go again.  For a quick refresher on history and economics, go here
>> -
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act
>>
>> For a short story on the predictable folly of Cash-4-Clunkers go here -
>>
>> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_bi_ge/us_life_after_clunkers
>>
>> Now, the looking out for special interests (steelworkers union) is
>> starting to get really dangerous (see story below). We took Cora to
>> the county fair yesterday and I stopped by the  New Holland dealer's
>> equipment display.  The local dealer I bought my backhoe and
>> skid-steer from and then shipped to Gulfport went out of business.
>> The company that took over from them has gone out of business.  The
>> local Case dealer recently went bankrupt (both Case and New Holland
>> are owned by Fiat). We talked equipment and I made some complaints
>> about our rubber tracked skid-steer's engineering (built in Kansas)
>> and shared our "fixes" that my brother engineered in the field. We are
>> extremely pleased with our New Holland backhoe (formerly Ford) that is
>> built in Italy with a Cummins diesel engine (Indiana). The dealer
>> asked if I was in the market for an excavator and I explained that we
>> had one - a Hyundai, Korean designed, built outside of Beijing with a
>> Mitsubishi engine and a Clark (US) drive train. If I were to buy
>> another one it would be a Sany, designed in China with final  assembly
>> done in Georgia with a Cummins engine. I don't buy Caterpillar or
>> Komatsu because it is too expensive on the front-end.  You recoup that
>> cost when you sell used but I don't plan to sell anything.  The bottom
>> line is this - there is no such thing as a pure domestic construction
>> equipment manufacturer.  My sister-in-law was the CFO for Greater Asia
>> for a mining truck manufacturer based near Bill E (CT)for over a year.
>>  You start a major trade war and all kinds of unforeseen consequences
>> start happening. Caterpillar equipment is very popular in China - I
>> saw a lot of Cat equipment on the train ride from Shanghai to Beijing.
>> Are we going to bailout the UAW in Peoria when the Chinese market for
>> CAT get's shutout? What about GM?  We, the taxpayers own GM. Shouldn't
>> we be a bit worried about retaliation against Shanghai Buick? What
>> about Boeing? This is a slippery slope we're being led down by someone
>> with a poor understanding of economics, or perhaps someone who
>> understands economics quite well but is really a Marxist.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> -------------
>>
>> US tyre duties spark China clash
>>
>> By Geoff Dyer in Beijing and Tom Braithwaite in Washington
>>
>> Published: September 13 2009 06:53 | Last updated: September 14 2009 11:57
>>
>> A full-blown trade row erupted between the US and China after Beijing
>> accused Washington of ?rampant protectionism? for imposing heavy
>> duties on imported Chinese tyres and threatened action against imports
>> of US poultry and vehicles.
>>
>> Trade relations between two of the world?s biggest economies
>> deteriorated after Barack Obama, US president, signed an order late on
>> Friday to impose a new duty of 35 per cent on Chinese tyre imports on
>> top of an existing 4 per cent tariff.
>>
>> In his first big test on world trade since taking office in January,
>> Mr Obama sided with America?s trade unions, which have complained that
>> a ?surge? in imports of Chinese-made tyres had caused 7,000 job losses
>> among US factory workers.
>>
>> Chen Deming, China?s minister of commerce, condemned the decision,
>> saying that it ?sends the wrong signal to the world? at a time when
>> Washington and Beijing should be co-operating to deal with the worst
>> economic and financial crisis in decades.
>>
>> ?This is a grave act of trade protectionism,? Mr Chen said in a
>> statement. ?Not only does it violate WTO rules, it contravenes
>> commitments the US government made at the [April] G20 financial
>> summit.?
>>
>> Beijing said it had requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the US
>> over Washington?s new duties on tyres. Yao Jian, a commerce ministry
>> spokesman, said the duties were in ?violation of WTO rules?.
>>
>> China said it would now investigate imports of US poultry and
>> vehicles, responding to complaints from domestic companies.
>>
>> The US earlier warned Beijing against taking retaliatory action.
>> ?Retaliation would be inappropriate, as the United States acted
>> entirely within the bounds of trade laws and within the safeguard
>> provision that China itself agreed to upon accession to the World
>> Trade Organisation,? said an official from the Office of the United
>> States Trade Representative.
>>
>> US officials said they were scrutinising the export of poultry and
>> vehicles, but said any action in retaliation by China could result in
>> a complaint by the US to the WTO.
>>
>> Key Tokyo rubber futures tumbled more than 9 per cent to a three-week
>> low on Monday, according to Reuters. News of the additional duties on
>> US tyre imports from China combined with sharply lower oil prices and
>> a stronger yen to push Tokyo rubber futures prices below Y200 a
>> kilogramme.
>>
>> The dispute comes less than a fortnight before Mr Obama is due to host
>> world leaders at a summit of G20 nations in Pittsburgh and ahead of
>> his planned visit to China in November.
>>
>> The decision to impose extra tyre tariffs followed a petition by the
>> United Steelworkers union, which represents workers at many US tyre
>> factories. Official US figures show an increase in imports by volume
>> from 14.6m tyres in 2004 to 46m in 2008. The US data shows that the
>> value of tyre imports from China increased from $453.3m in 2004 to
>> $1.8bn in 2008. Four US plants closed in 2006 and 2007 and three more
>> are likely to be closed this year. US production capacity has fallen
>> by 17.8 per cent in the past four years, according to the official
>> data.
>>
>> Eswar Prasad, professor of trade economics at Cornell University,
>> warned that the disagreement could escalate. ?These protectionist
>> measures, some of which amount to domestic political posturing rather
>> than substantive restraints on trade, could easily ratchet up into a
>> full-blown trade war and inflict serious economic damage on both
>> countries,? he said.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 09:41:22 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:41:22 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909141916h7aaf3f2avbaeebe1d6004bb94@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140616x4c6e462cm5ac99a5cfcde7cd5@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140732l46aa6992n77a3ffd07ee2b7df@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909140815m5458e891l89875c9211e8288@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140951oe0cff5fy8a1f03e61f65f0f6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909141001xcdbe54h1db7dc788f793228@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909141716q1f709e44pc791de215daabacd@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909141750i72dc9c18s23de818e29d91758@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909141916h7aaf3f2avbaeebe1d6004bb94@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909150641j72278684jb74534141f3b7075@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

According to The Chicago Boyz website (post below) there's more
surprises already "in the can", perhaps released today.  Will Obama
throw ACORN under the bus?  It sure is getting crowded under there!

Brad

-------------

Posted by Shannon Love on September 14th, 2009 (All posts by Shannon Love)

Back when I did computer tech support, we had a rule of thumb for
evaluating the significance of reports of unusual and previously
unreported failures .

    * One report of a failure is a fluke.
    * Two reports of a failure is a coincidence. It might just be two
users making the same error.
    * Three reports indicates a pattern of failure that arises from
the hardware or software itself.

This rule of thumb evolved after observing the failures of millions of
computers. We learned that three separate computers would only suffer
the same failure if the failure arose from a common source in the
computers themselves. Just three machines out of millions told us we
most likely had a systemic problem.

This brings me to the Acorn child prostitution scandal.

    * One report from an Acorn office was a fluke. Any large
organization, public or private of any creed can be infected by amoral
individuals who will try to use the organization to commit illegal or
unethical acts. No organization larger than a few dozen people can
police the actions of every member, all the time.

    * Two reports from two separate Acorn offices was just a
disturbing coincidence. The same reasoning as above applies, because
in a large organizations, just as in a large installed base of
computers, it?s possible for two separate bad eggs carrying out the
same acts to show up in the same organization.

    * Three identical reports of the same failure from three separate
offices indicates the criminality arises from the organization itself.
It is highly unlikely that, out of the hundreds of Acorn offices
around the nation, the journalist just happened to wander into the
three offices whose managers wouldn?t blink an eye at helping to set
up a brothel using children.

This degree of organizational systemic rot has to come from the head.
I think that much is obvious. Something in Acorn?s organizational
culture made these people feel that it was okay and expected for them
to give the criminal advice that they did. Certainly, if Acorn had
been a private for-profit company, three separate and wholly unrelated
incidents would have been enough for leftists to demand the heads of
the corporate officers.

The really disturbing part is how in all three cases the managers of
the Acorn offices don?t even bat an eye when the journalist asks about
setting up a brothel. Further, they seem to have the logistics and
legal tangles of using a brothel to fund a political career already
well thought out. I don?t know about you, but if someone ask me how to
run a brothel using minors and how to funnel that money into the a
political campaign, I would have to stop and think about it for while.
The fact that they have the answers already queued up and ready to go
tells us one thing?

? this is far from the first time they have provided this kind of
?assistance?. They know the answers because they?ve been asked them
before and they?ve answered them. Repeatedly.

We might also note that in most cases illegal immigrants are forced
into prostitution against their will. Alone in a foreign country they
have to serve their pimp?s pleasure or risk being killed or having
their family members killed back in their home country. This is doubly
true for minors. There is a nifty term for holding people against
their will and forcing them to work for you:

Acorn was promoting slavery. Sexual slavery. The sexual slavery of children.

Is that overwrought? Well, it isn?t in my book but then I have a low
tolerance for the sexual enslavement of children. If someone had
seriously asked me the same questions the journalist asked the Acorn
managers, I would still be cleaning the blood splatter off the
ceiling. Perhaps in leftist circles the involuntary prostitution of
minor illegal aliens is not considered a big deal.

I do know for certain how horrible Acorn?s acts would be viewed as if
they had been a non-leftist organization.

But this is what I really don?t understand:

This systemic criminality is an act of treason against both Acorn?s
supporters and the people they were supposed to help! There is no
other word for this level of betrayal. Honestly, what greater crime
could an organization commit against the sensibilities and trust of
leftists than to support criminal activities that degrade the
communities of our nation?s most poor and helpless? What greater sin
is there in the leftists? lexicon than the literal sexual enslavement
of children?

Where is the blind rage from the left? Why aren?t they mobbing the
offices of Acorn and dragging the corporate officers out into the
street? How bad do things have to become within a leftist organization
before the rest of the left says, ?Enough! You are no longer part of
us!? How long will it take for the left to cast Acorn from the fold?
How long before they stop making excuses and condemning those who
brought this evil to light and instead clean their own house?

The world watches and wonders. This is their moment to demonstrate
their integrity.

[Update (2009-9-14 9:52pm): According to several post on this Hot Air
thread, the same guys who did these three videos will release
something else tomorrow which they describe as "devastating".  I've
got ask, once you've caught an organization assisting in the sexual
slavery of children, what the hell do you do for an encore?  I mean,
is there a mass grave in the Acorn basement or what?]

On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> By God it's about time somebody did it!!
>
> Veto proof too, from the look of it.
>
> Good job!
>
> Rik
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 7:50 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Alrighty!  The Senate responds 83 to 7 to defund ACORN.  Let's see
>> what the People's Republic of Pelosi does with it now.
>>
>> http://biggovernment.com/
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Brad,
>> >
>> > Careful what you wish for. I'm gettin' about frustrated enough to take
>> you
>> > up on that. Have to leave my "farm ground" behind though.
>> >
>> > Elle is pretty artistic.
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Rik,
>> >>
>> >> Come on down!  I've got a building you can store your boat in at
>> >> Gulfport, as well as a roof over your camper.  A two hour drive away
>> >> is the condo we hope to close on soon in Destin, FL.  I've got enough
>> >> ammo to shoot our way out of Memphis to the sailboat on Pickwick Lake.
>> >>  The one thing we lack is farmland.  I might want to revisit that
>> >> choice since "retirement" from gentleman farming a dozen years ago.
>> >>
>> >> Who's in charge of designing the new flag?
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> > Brad,
>> >> >
>> >> > "Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's quite
>> >> > obvious!!
>> >> >
>> >> > I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress
>> this
>> >> next
>> >> > election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries
>> here
>> >> > instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.
>> >> >
>> >> > Rik
>> >> >
>> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> Rik,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
>> >> >> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't
>> >> >> call
>> >> >> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown was
>> >> >> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.  He
>> >> >> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
>> >> >> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice
>> >> >> Dept.
>> >> >> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and
>> >> >> then
>> >> >> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson) in
>> a
>> >> >> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the AG)
>> >> >> for pointing out the obvious.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists,
>> >> >> and
>> >> >> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda
>> thunk
>> >> >> that?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Brad
>> >> >>
>> >> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >> > Brad,
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in
>> >> >> > the
>> >> >> street.
>> >> >> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four
>> >> >> > years
>> >> >> > on
>> >> >> this
>> >> >> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support
>> >> >> > ACORN,
>> >> >> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to
>> >> these
>> >> >> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into
>> >> >> > making
>> >> bad
>> >> >> > loans...  and now this ....
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > What the hell are we doing????
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Rik
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> The videos keep coming -
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
>> >> >> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder how
>> >> many
>> >> >> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every
>> >> >> >> challenge
>> >> >> >> to a tape with a new tape.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> LMAO!
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Brad
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly
>> >> >> >> > forced
>> >> into
>> >> >> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> > Brad
>> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > --
>> >> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
>> >> fire,
>> >> >> it
>> >> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >> >> >
>> >> >>
>> >> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
>> fire,
>> >> it
>> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 09:54:33 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:54:33 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Ghost Fleet
Message-ID: <400985d70909150654x18cc5040q4f4bb1f9a421645d@mail.gmail.com>

Not the kind of sailing story you like to read -

http://tinyurl.com/qnr3dr

From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep 14 19:09:41 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:09:41 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Understanding computer terms
References: <12BB3D9710954A34962EA12D7A1BB2E9@YOURB88038198E>
	<4AAD72BD.8040605@att.net> <020601ca356d$2e36a140$8aa3e3c0$@com>
Message-ID: <B4581386A89C4DAA936392AB62C3BC39@YOURB88038198E>

Michael,

Nice to see your are alert and well.

We need an Obama supporter on the Swiftwater forum.  Come on now...

Ed K
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 11:18:26 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:18:26 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Economics and War
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909150613k35017a41s67178e08c69d8752@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140431s6a2c1ac2x9fe5d3581a861bec@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909140704r7c56da1aj82e10d3d04451837@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909150613k35017a41s67178e08c69d8752@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909150818k5c85ab78le9ec07c75f638774@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

A little study of history would make it plain to most anybody that can think
logically at all, that protectionism makes many more problems than it
solves. Nixon proved again in the '70s that price controls don't work. This
is just price control by another name. Unfortunately, neither our current
president, (who is busily licking the union boss's boots) or the unions,
care about the need for level playing fields or honest competition. Not that
the Chinese are exactly honest competition. The fact is, if we hadn't driven
the cost of labor in our country so high, the Chinese wouldn't be able to
undercut us so badly now. If the current admin believes they can get by
without the products that come here from other countries, they better think
again. We can't make half this stuff here anymore and won't be able to start
again anytime soon.

Watching all this, I'm not sure whether we will see a war within our borders
first, or outside of them.

Rik

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 8:13 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> Posted below is an article from today's WSJ.  Hoover was wrong,  Bush
> 43 was wrong when he put tariffs on steel, and Obama is clueless.
> China holds over 700 Billion US dollars in reserve. Who's being a
> reckless cowboy now?  For all of The One's tough Chicago style talk,
> he's bringing a knife to a gunfight.  This will not end well.  There's
> tons of bad economic news published today from foreign sources.  The
> US media is still promoting "happy days are here again" and we'll fuel
> our cars on unicorn farts. Obama goes on "60 Minutes" over the weekend
> and says the only way we can solve our countries debt problem (because
> of unfunded liabilities for health care) is to borrow more money to
> expand eligibility for health care.  Huh?  Run that by me again, I may
> have skipped that day of class.
>
> Brad
>
> -------------
>
>    * SEPTEMBER 15, 2009, 5:53 A.M. ET
>
> A Protectionist President
> Like Hoover, Obama is abdicating U.S. trade leadership.
>
>
> President Obama traveled to Wall Street yesterday to press his case
> for more financial regulation, but the bigger economic issue of the
> day concerned other White House policies. To wit, what does it mean
> for the world economy if America now has its first protectionist
> President since Herbert Hoover?
>
> The smell of trade war is suddenly in the air. Mr. Obama slapped a 35%
> tariff on Chinese tires Friday night, and China responded on the
> weekend by threatening to retaliate against U.S. chickens and auto
> parts. That followed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's demand on
> Thursday that Europe impose a carbon tariff on imports from countries
> that don't follow its cap-and-trade diktats. "We need to impose a
> carbon tax at [Europe's] border. I will lead that battle," he said.
> [Protectionist]
>
> Mr. Sarkozy was following U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who has
> endorsed a carbon tax on imports, and the U.S. House of
> Representatives, which passed a carbon tariff as part of its
> cap-and-tax bill. This in turn followed the "Buy American" provisions
> of the stimulus, which has incensed much of Canada; Congress's bill to
> ban Mexican trucks from U.S. roads in direct violation of Nafta,
> prompting Mexico to retaliate against U.S. farm and kitchen goods; and
> the must-make-cars-in-America provisions of the auto bailouts.
> Meanwhile, U.S. trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea
> languish in Congress.
>
> Through all of this Mr. Obama has either said nothing or objected so
> feebly that Congress has assumed he doesn't mean it. Despite his
> pro-forma demurrals, Mr. Obama's actions and nonactions are telling
> the world that the U.S. is abandoning the global leadership on trade
> that Presidents of both parties have worked to maintain since the
> 1930s. His advisers whisper that their man is merely playing a little
> tactical domestic politics, but he is playing with fire, as the last
> 80 years of trade history should tell him.
> ***
>
> The modern free-trade era began during the Great Depression, after the
> catastrophe of the Smoot-Hawley tariff of June 1930. Hoover also
> thought he was shrewdly playing tactical politics by adopting a tariff
> that the economist Joseph Schumpeter said was the "household remedy"
> of the Republican Party at the time. But the tariff ignited a
> beggar-thy-neighbor reaction around the world, and the flow of global
> goods and services collapsed.
>
>
> FDR's Secretary of State Cordell Hull recognized the damage, and he
> began rebuilding a pro-trade consensus with a series of bilateral
> accords in the 1930s. In the aftermath of World War II, John Maynard
> Keynes, Harry Dexter White and others on both sides of the Atlantic
> continued this progress by negotiating the Bretton Woods currency
> accords and creating the Global Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
>
> Like Britain in the 19th century, the U.S. has been the linchpin of
> this liberal trading order that despite occasional setbacks has moved
> in the direction of lower tariffs and fewer nontariff barriers. As the
> world's largest economy, the U.S. has largely kept its market open,
> using access to U.S. consumers as a lever to open other countries to
> foreign goods and services. Even as Big Labor broke with this
> consensus, Bill Clinton continued this bipartisan tradition by
> supporting Nafta, and prodding Congress to ratify the World Trade
> Organization and most-favored nation trading status for China.
>
> Following America's lead, countries that were once largely closed
> economically?especially China and India?have in turn opened up to
> foreign goods and services. The result has been an explosion in world
> trade, especially since the 1980s, as the nearby chart makes clear.
> This boom has coincided with rising incomes in countries connected by
> trade and the free flow of capital, especially in the developing world
> but also in America. While some U.S. jobs have vanished, new
> industries have emerged, and the U.S. has maintained its lead in
> manufacturing productivity.
> ***
>
> This 80-year history of free-trade progress is now under threat from
> the global recession and Mr. Obama's abdication of U.S. leadership.
> Labor's antitrade views now dominate in the Democratic Congress and
> liberal think tanks. As ominous, protectionism is increasingly
> justified by Democratic economists on political grounds.
>
> Paul Krugman, the chief economist for House Democrats, has endorsed a
> carbon tariff. And Clyde Prestowitz, who insisted in the 1980s that
> Japanese mercantilism would rule the world, went so far as to argue in
> the Financial Times last week that imposing tariffs on China would
> strike a blow for free trade. As economic logic, this compares to the
> argument that the way to reduce government health-care spending is to
> pass a new trillion-dollar entitlement.
>
> President Bush and his trade negotiator Robert Zoellick also claimed
> that the protectionism of their 2001 steel tariffs would lead to more
> free-trade support, but the move merely exposed U.S. hypocrisy and
> undermined global trade talks. The reality is that without the U.S.
> leading by example, the world trading order is likely to deteriorate
> into every country for itself. This is especially dangerous amid a
> global recession in which world merchandise trade volume fell by
> roughly 33% from the second quarter of 2008 to June 2009. Reviving
> trade flows is crucial to restoring global growth.
>
> Mr. Obama may not intend to start a trade war, but then Hoover didn't
> set out to pick one either. His political abdication is what made it
> possible, however, and trade passions once unleashed can be impossible
> to control. On his present course, President Obama is giving the world
> every reason to conclude he is a protectionist.
>
>
>
> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > When you go to the doctor with circulation problems, does the doctor take
> > blood out of your leg and put it back into your arm to get that blood
> moving
> > around better??? Stupid right??? Does that kinda sound like cash for
> > clunkers???
> >
> > I am just simply befuddled at the amount of people who don't and/or don't
> > want, to see how things always work out in countries with
> > socialist/facist/marxist regimes. It's happened a hundred times over the
> > centuries. It's written in the history books so much that it sticks out
> like
> > a sore thumb. You always end up with two classes of people. The 95%
> > (governees) to use one of Obama's favorite numbers. who take whatever
> scraps
> > the governing class doesn't waste on themselves. And the 5% of the boot
> > lickers who have curried favor with the governing class by throwing money
> or
> > other favors at the governers who live quite extravagantly and well.....
> > UNTIL they piss off the governer above them. Then if they're lucky they
> are
> > thrown out to spend their days in the bread line with the rest of the 95%
> > or, if they're not so fortunate, there always seems to be plenty of jail
> > space for those that have trouble agreeing with the party line. Sometimes
> if
> > things get bad enough these folks might even disappear ......
> >
> > People can't/won't see that this administration is loaded with little
> > governers that are thinking along the lines laid out above. Look at the
> > people he surrounds himself with Van jones (self-avowed communist) Cass
> > Sunstein (Not a S/C justice yet, but I bet they try), Ron Bloom (union
> > boss/hack) deputy secratary of labor and the list goes on and on. Just
> look
> > at the name Mr. Obama has chosen to use for his closest advisors. Czars,
> > does it get anymore soviet than that??? 'Course, I guess Bush started
> that
> > in his admin. But I don't care, I just hate that we would even use such a
> > word. It's just one more step down the slippery slope of indoctrination.
> >
> >
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/08/out-commie-truther-green-jobs-czar-in-union-hack-manufacturing-czar/
> >
> > http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/11/the-cass-sunstein-vote/
> >
> > The chinese say: May you live in interesting times. Personally, I hoping
> for
> > a little less "interesting" than this.
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 6:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Here we go again.  For a quick refresher on history and economics, go
> here
> >> -
> >>
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act
> >>
> >> For a short story on the predictable folly of Cash-4-Clunkers go here -
> >>
> >> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_bi_ge/us_life_after_clunkers
> >>
> >> Now, the looking out for special interests (steelworkers union) is
> >> starting to get really dangerous (see story below). We took Cora to
> >> the county fair yesterday and I stopped by the  New Holland dealer's
> >> equipment display.  The local dealer I bought my backhoe and
> >> skid-steer from and then shipped to Gulfport went out of business.
> >> The company that took over from them has gone out of business.  The
> >> local Case dealer recently went bankrupt (both Case and New Holland
> >> are owned by Fiat). We talked equipment and I made some complaints
> >> about our rubber tracked skid-steer's engineering (built in Kansas)
> >> and shared our "fixes" that my brother engineered in the field. We are
> >> extremely pleased with our New Holland backhoe (formerly Ford) that is
> >> built in Italy with a Cummins diesel engine (Indiana). The dealer
> >> asked if I was in the market for an excavator and I explained that we
> >> had one - a Hyundai, Korean designed, built outside of Beijing with a
> >> Mitsubishi engine and a Clark (US) drive train. If I were to buy
> >> another one it would be a Sany, designed in China with final  assembly
> >> done in Georgia with a Cummins engine. I don't buy Caterpillar or
> >> Komatsu because it is too expensive on the front-end.  You recoup that
> >> cost when you sell used but I don't plan to sell anything.  The bottom
> >> line is this - there is no such thing as a pure domestic construction
> >> equipment manufacturer.  My sister-in-law was the CFO for Greater Asia
> >> for a mining truck manufacturer based near Bill E (CT)for over a year.
> >>  You start a major trade war and all kinds of unforeseen consequences
> >> start happening. Caterpillar equipment is very popular in China - I
> >> saw a lot of Cat equipment on the train ride from Shanghai to Beijing.
> >> Are we going to bailout the UAW in Peoria when the Chinese market for
> >> CAT get's shutout? What about GM?  We, the taxpayers own GM. Shouldn't
> >> we be a bit worried about retaliation against Shanghai Buick? What
> >> about Boeing? This is a slippery slope we're being led down by someone
> >> with a poor understanding of economics, or perhaps someone who
> >> understands economics quite well but is really a Marxist.
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> -------------
> >>
> >> US tyre duties spark China clash
> >>
> >> By Geoff Dyer in Beijing and Tom Braithwaite in Washington
> >>
> >> Published: September 13 2009 06:53 | Last updated: September 14 2009
> 11:57
> >>
> >> A full-blown trade row erupted between the US and China after Beijing
> >> accused Washington of ?rampant protectionism? for imposing heavy
> >> duties on imported Chinese tyres and threatened action against imports
> >> of US poultry and vehicles.
> >>
> >> Trade relations between two of the world?s biggest economies
> >> deteriorated after Barack Obama, US president, signed an order late on
> >> Friday to impose a new duty of 35 per cent on Chinese tyre imports on
> >> top of an existing 4 per cent tariff.
> >>
> >> In his first big test on world trade since taking office in January,
> >> Mr Obama sided with America?s trade unions, which have complained that
> >> a ?surge? in imports of Chinese-made tyres had caused 7,000 job losses
> >> among US factory workers.
> >>
> >> Chen Deming, China?s minister of commerce, condemned the decision,
> >> saying that it ?sends the wrong signal to the world? at a time when
> >> Washington and Beijing should be co-operating to deal with the worst
> >> economic and financial crisis in decades.
> >>
> >> ?This is a grave act of trade protectionism,? Mr Chen said in a
> >> statement. ?Not only does it violate WTO rules, it contravenes
> >> commitments the US government made at the [April] G20 financial
> >> summit.?
> >>
> >> Beijing said it had requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the US
> >> over Washington?s new duties on tyres. Yao Jian, a commerce ministry
> >> spokesman, said the duties were in ?violation of WTO rules?.
> >>
> >> China said it would now investigate imports of US poultry and
> >> vehicles, responding to complaints from domestic companies.
> >>
> >> The US earlier warned Beijing against taking retaliatory action.
> >> ?Retaliation would be inappropriate, as the United States acted
> >> entirely within the bounds of trade laws and within the safeguard
> >> provision that China itself agreed to upon accession to the World
> >> Trade Organisation,? said an official from the Office of the United
> >> States Trade Representative.
> >>
> >> US officials said they were scrutinising the export of poultry and
> >> vehicles, but said any action in retaliation by China could result in
> >> a complaint by the US to the WTO.
> >>
> >> Key Tokyo rubber futures tumbled more than 9 per cent to a three-week
> >> low on Monday, according to Reuters. News of the additional duties on
> >> US tyre imports from China combined with sharply lower oil prices and
> >> a stronger yen to push Tokyo rubber futures prices below Y200 a
> >> kilogramme.
> >>
> >> The dispute comes less than a fortnight before Mr Obama is due to host
> >> world leaders at a summit of G20 nations in Pittsburgh and ahead of
> >> his planned visit to China in November.
> >>
> >> The decision to impose extra tyre tariffs followed a petition by the
> >> United Steelworkers union, which represents workers at many US tyre
> >> factories. Official US figures show an increase in imports by volume
> >> from 14.6m tyres in 2004 to 46m in 2008. The US data shows that the
> >> value of tyre imports from China increased from $453.3m in 2004 to
> >> $1.8bn in 2008. Four US plants closed in 2006 and 2007 and three more
> >> are likely to be closed this year. US production capacity has fallen
> >> by 17.8 per cent in the past four years, according to the official
> >> data.
> >>
> >> Eswar Prasad, professor of trade economics at Cornell University,
> >> warned that the disagreement could escalate. ?These protectionist
> >> measures, some of which amount to domestic political posturing rather
> >> than substantive restraints on trade, could easily ratchet up into a
> >> full-blown trade war and inflict serious economic damage on both
> >> countries,? he said.
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 11:53:19 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:53:19 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909150641j72278684jb74534141f3b7075@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140503o39224909nf41f9c9b5bc08f7a@mail.gmail.com>
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Message-ID: <6634e19e0909150853o4f780d8bt3b83143db0248079@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Can you believe we were actually giving these people public money? They
looked bad before. Now they look purely evil. And once again, our president
has been a big supporter and has had close involvement for a long time. I
cannot believe that our president is SO naive that he hasn't known this
organization was like this. I cannot believe that our president was so naive
that he didn't know what all the people he has thrown under the bus since
his campaign started, were about. I have a saying (bush did too, but he had
trouble saying it) fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
Shame on us all for allowing this continuing circus of deceit to continue. I
believe it's time for us to ask this president to step down. He has truly
become an embarrassment.

Rik

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 8:41 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> According to The Chicago Boyz website (post below) there's more
> surprises already "in the can", perhaps released today.  Will Obama
> throw ACORN under the bus?  It sure is getting crowded under there!
>
> Brad
>
> -------------
>
> Posted by Shannon Love on September 14th, 2009 (All posts by Shannon Love)
>
> Back when I did computer tech support, we had a rule of thumb for
> evaluating the significance of reports of unusual and previously
> unreported failures .
>
>    * One report of a failure is a fluke.
>    * Two reports of a failure is a coincidence. It might just be two
> users making the same error.
>    * Three reports indicates a pattern of failure that arises from
> the hardware or software itself.
>
> This rule of thumb evolved after observing the failures of millions of
> computers. We learned that three separate computers would only suffer
> the same failure if the failure arose from a common source in the
> computers themselves. Just three machines out of millions told us we
> most likely had a systemic problem.
>
> This brings me to the Acorn child prostitution scandal.
>
>    * One report from an Acorn office was a fluke. Any large
> organization, public or private of any creed can be infected by amoral
> individuals who will try to use the organization to commit illegal or
> unethical acts. No organization larger than a few dozen people can
> police the actions of every member, all the time.
>
>    * Two reports from two separate Acorn offices was just a
> disturbing coincidence. The same reasoning as above applies, because
> in a large organizations, just as in a large installed base of
> computers, it?s possible for two separate bad eggs carrying out the
> same acts to show up in the same organization.
>
>    * Three identical reports of the same failure from three separate
> offices indicates the criminality arises from the organization itself.
> It is highly unlikely that, out of the hundreds of Acorn offices
> around the nation, the journalist just happened to wander into the
> three offices whose managers wouldn?t blink an eye at helping to set
> up a brothel using children.
>
> This degree of organizational systemic rot has to come from the head.
> I think that much is obvious. Something in Acorn?s organizational
> culture made these people feel that it was okay and expected for them
> to give the criminal advice that they did. Certainly, if Acorn had
> been a private for-profit company, three separate and wholly unrelated
> incidents would have been enough for leftists to demand the heads of
> the corporate officers.
>
> The really disturbing part is how in all three cases the managers of
> the Acorn offices don?t even bat an eye when the journalist asks about
> setting up a brothel. Further, they seem to have the logistics and
> legal tangles of using a brothel to fund a political career already
> well thought out. I don?t know about you, but if someone ask me how to
> run a brothel using minors and how to funnel that money into the a
> political campaign, I would have to stop and think about it for while.
> The fact that they have the answers already queued up and ready to go
> tells us one thing?
>
> ? this is far from the first time they have provided this kind of
> ?assistance?. They know the answers because they?ve been asked them
> before and they?ve answered them. Repeatedly.
>
> We might also note that in most cases illegal immigrants are forced
> into prostitution against their will. Alone in a foreign country they
> have to serve their pimp?s pleasure or risk being killed or having
> their family members killed back in their home country. This is doubly
> true for minors. There is a nifty term for holding people against
> their will and forcing them to work for you:
>
> Acorn was promoting slavery. Sexual slavery. The sexual slavery of
> children.
>
> Is that overwrought? Well, it isn?t in my book but then I have a low
> tolerance for the sexual enslavement of children. If someone had
> seriously asked me the same questions the journalist asked the Acorn
> managers, I would still be cleaning the blood splatter off the
> ceiling. Perhaps in leftist circles the involuntary prostitution of
> minor illegal aliens is not considered a big deal.
>
> I do know for certain how horrible Acorn?s acts would be viewed as if
> they had been a non-leftist organization.
>
> But this is what I really don?t understand:
>
> This systemic criminality is an act of treason against both Acorn?s
> supporters and the people they were supposed to help! There is no
> other word for this level of betrayal. Honestly, what greater crime
> could an organization commit against the sensibilities and trust of
> leftists than to support criminal activities that degrade the
> communities of our nation?s most poor and helpless? What greater sin
> is there in the leftists? lexicon than the literal sexual enslavement
> of children?
>
> Where is the blind rage from the left? Why aren?t they mobbing the
> offices of Acorn and dragging the corporate officers out into the
> street? How bad do things have to become within a leftist organization
> before the rest of the left says, ?Enough! You are no longer part of
> us!? How long will it take for the left to cast Acorn from the fold?
> How long before they stop making excuses and condemning those who
> brought this evil to light and instead clean their own house?
>
> The world watches and wonders. This is their moment to demonstrate
> their integrity.
>
> [Update (2009-9-14 9:52pm): According to several post on this Hot Air
> thread, the same guys who did these three videos will release
> something else tomorrow which they describe as "devastating".  I've
> got ask, once you've caught an organization assisting in the sexual
> slavery of children, what the hell do you do for an encore?  I mean,
> is there a mass grave in the Acorn basement or what?]
>
> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > By God it's about time somebody did it!!
> >
> > Veto proof too, from the look of it.
> >
> > Good job!
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 7:50 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Alrighty!  The Senate responds 83 to 7 to defund ACORN.  Let's see
> >> what the People's Republic of Pelosi does with it now.
> >>
> >> http://biggovernment.com/
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >>
> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > Brad,
> >> >
> >> > Careful what you wish for. I'm gettin' about frustrated enough to take
> >> you
> >> > up on that. Have to leave my "farm ground" behind though.
> >> >
> >> > Elle is pretty artistic.
> >> >
> >> > Rik
> >> >
> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Rik,
> >> >>
> >> >> Come on down!  I've got a building you can store your boat in at
> >> >> Gulfport, as well as a roof over your camper.  A two hour drive away
> >> >> is the condo we hope to close on soon in Destin, FL.  I've got enough
> >> >> ammo to shoot our way out of Memphis to the sailboat on Pickwick
> Lake.
> >> >>  The one thing we lack is farmland.  I might want to revisit that
> >> >> choice since "retirement" from gentleman farming a dozen years ago.
> >> >>
> >> >> Who's in charge of designing the new flag?
> >> >>
> >> >> Brad
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> > Brad,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > "Whoda thunk that?" Who'd a thunk that indeed. Damned few, it's
> quite
> >> >> > obvious!!
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I'll be outright honest. If we can't get some help in the congress
> >> this
> >> >> next
> >> >> > election, I fear it is very likely that there will be two countries
> >> here
> >> >> > instead of one or at least we'll be in the process by 2012.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Rik
> >> >> >
> >> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> >> >> wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> Rik,
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> It will have to wait until JAN of 2011.  This current crop of
> >> >> >> congresscritters are going to look the other way.  The MSM won't
> >> >> >> call
> >> >> >> for his head.  The photo of Obama with ACORN leaders in Chitown
> was
> >> >> >> scrubbed off his campaign website and went down the memory hole.
>  He
> >> >> >> ONLY included $8 Billion for ACORN in the "stimulus" bill. Yes
> >> >> >> Virginia, that billions with a capital B. The so-called Justice
> >> >> >> Dept.
> >> >> >> won't pursue the most egregious violations of voters rights, and
> >> >> >> then
> >> >> >> drops charges against "pay-to-play" politicians (Gov. Richardson)
> in
> >> a
> >> >> >> slam-dunk case.  Yet, we're racists (or cowards according to the
> AG)
> >> >> >> for pointing out the obvious.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> The populace elects a man who hung out with racists and Marxists,
> >> >> >> and
> >> >> >> shock of shock! It turns out he's a racist and a Marxist!  Whoda
> >> thunk
> >> >> >> that?
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Brad
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> >> > Brad,
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in
> >> >> >> > the
> >> >> >> street.
> >> >> >> > I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four
> >> >> >> > years
> >> >> >> > on
> >> >> >> this
> >> >> >> > path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support
> >> >> >> > ACORN,
> >> >> >> > before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money
> to
> >> >> these
> >> >> >> > people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into
> >> >> >> > making
> >> >> bad
> >> >> >> > loans...  and now this ....
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > What the hell are we doing????
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > Rik
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <
> flybrad at gmail.com>
> >> >> wrote:
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> The videos keep coming -
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the
> >> >> >> >> employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC.  I wonder
> how
> >> >> many
> >> >> >> >> more tapes are out there?  These "kids" are answering every
> >> >> >> >> challenge
> >> >> >> >> to a tape with a new tape.
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> LMAO!
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> Brad
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> >> >> > You won't read this story in the New York Times -
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> > http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> > BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly
> >> >> >> >> > forced
> >> >> into
> >> >> >> >> > their jobs.  The whores are elected.
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> > Brad
> >> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > --
> >> >> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force!
> Like
> >> >> fire,
> >> >> >> it
> >> >> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George
> Washington
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > --
> >> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> >> fire,
> >> >> it
> >> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> fire,
> >> it
> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >> >
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Tue Sep 15 11:55:04 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:55:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] who runs/owns USPS?
Message-ID: <693136.69916.qm@web111205.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

Hi, guys,
I need to know whether the USPS is or is not run by the federal govt. I have searched online but have not been able to find a definitive answer.?
Is it still under gov;'t control but run by private co? Is is completely privatized???
this is the place that would know!elle


      
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 12:10:23 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:10:23 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] who runs/owns USPS?
In-Reply-To: <693136.69916.qm@web111205.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
References: <693136.69916.qm@web111205.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909150910h2bedb29dr9af27cca745f558c@mail.gmail.com>

Elle,

I have no doubt that USPS is gov't owned and run.

>From Wikipedia:

The Postal Reorganization
Act<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Reorganization_Act>signed by
President <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States> Richard
Nixon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon> on August 12, 1970,
replaced the cabinet-level Post Office Department with the independent United
States Postal Service<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service>.
The Act took effect on July 1, 1971.

Rik

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:55 AM, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi, guys,
> I need to know whether the USPS is or is not run by the federal govt. I
> have searched online but have not been able to find a definitive answer.
>
> Is it still under gov;'t control but run by private co? Is is completely
> privatized???
>
> this is the place that would know!
> elle
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Tue Sep 15 12:07:44 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:07:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Found it ;^)
Message-ID: <512819.34354.qm@web111216.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

after I emailed this list I found it in Wikipedia......
sorry !
elle


      
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 12:40:20 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:40:20 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Economics and War
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909150818k5c85ab78le9ec07c75f638774@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909140431s6a2c1ac2x9fe5d3581a861bec@mail.gmail.com>
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Message-ID: <400985d70909150940i2d3640dfyb70735c713c796f0@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Surely I've told this story before.  A little over a decade ago I was
hiking up the Great Wall for the first time and met a guy from Toledo.
 He was there to open a factory making "rubber dog shit" or something
and I started playing 50 questions with him.  This was pre-DotCom
bubble pop and the US economy was booming. His take was the
unemployment rate in the US was 5% (full employment by our standards)
and you couldn't get that last 5% to work, and didn't want them if you
could.  After shipping over raw materials, training, factory opening
costs, etc., it was a wash on savings.  It wasn't about "cheap" labor,
it was just good labor period.  We're witnessing the war from within
as we speak.  Toyota is building their new engine plant outside of
Tupelo, MS because they can access an abundance of good labor at $27
per hour plus benefits.  See how well a GM plant in Ypsilanti competes
with that!  I made good money in college flying parts to Detroit in
the middle of the night because they ran out of "flugal valves" during
production.  On our recent drive to Destin, FL there were nearly a
hundred Korean factories the first 50 miles South of Montgomery
feeding the Hyundai car plant. They want their suppliers close and
they don't call college kids in the middle of the night to fly
airplanes.  In fact, just like WalMart, they know what they need, just
when they need it! Hyundai also has a plant near the Beijing airport
that builds the same cars for the China market as Montgomery does for
the North American market.  We CAN compete, but not at $80 an hour
with retirement benefits exceeding what you earned whilst you were
actually working.  GM = US Gubmint!  Now there's a formula for
success. To return to an old theme of mine, I grew-up (we're using the
term loosely) in a farm community of 650 people. We had a successful
local Allis-Chalmers dealer and a multitude of small farmers (200 to
500 acres).  My dad worked the oil field and construction and I was
always jealous of my farm buddies because they'd sell a hog and have
gas and 'girl' money for a month while I spent mine on flying lessons.
 They don't exist anymore, at least not as farmers.  They shot their
wad with Earl Butz (Nixon's "get big or get out" agriculture guru) and
there isn't the good Caterpillar factory jobs in Central Illinois to
fall back on anymore.  Now we tell farmers to grow fuel, even though
it takes a gallon of fuel for every 1.1 gallons of ethanol they
produce.  Obama save domestic tires and sacrifice Arkansas chickens.
Come to think of it, he'll get the PETA vote. Chickens eat corn.  It
wasn't exactly a "get rich quick" scheme to begin with raising
chickens in AR.  Where were we?  Oh yeah, Chinese junk versus American
"quality". Well, you can forget about the Sany distribution center
outside of Georgia.  That's not good news for Cummins Engine in
Columbus, IN or Clark Transmissions in WI or the hundreds of other
suppliers. No, we've got a new leader with a new Five-Year-Plan. Never
mind he hasn't run a hot-dog stand or paper route.  Dear Leader knows
best!

We never learn!

Brad

On 9/15/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> A little study of history would make it plain to most anybody that can think
> logically at all, that protectionism makes many more problems than it
> solves. Nixon proved again in the '70s that price controls don't work. This
> is just price control by another name. Unfortunately, neither our current
> president, (who is busily licking the union boss's boots) or the unions,
> care about the need for level playing fields or honest competition. Not that
> the Chinese are exactly honest competition. The fact is, if we hadn't driven
> the cost of labor in our country so high, the Chinese wouldn't be able to
> undercut us so badly now. If the current admin believes they can get by
> without the products that come here from other countries, they better think
> again. We can't make half this stuff here anymore and won't be able to start
> again anytime soon.
>
> Watching all this, I'm not sure whether we will see a war within our borders
> first, or outside of them.
>
> Rik
>
> On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 8:13 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Rik,
>>
>> Posted below is an article from today's WSJ.  Hoover was wrong,  Bush
>> 43 was wrong when he put tariffs on steel, and Obama is clueless.
>> China holds over 700 Billion US dollars in reserve. Who's being a
>> reckless cowboy now?  For all of The One's tough Chicago style talk,
>> he's bringing a knife to a gunfight.  This will not end well.  There's
>> tons of bad economic news published today from foreign sources.  The
>> US media is still promoting "happy days are here again" and we'll fuel
>> our cars on unicorn farts. Obama goes on "60 Minutes" over the weekend
>> and says the only way we can solve our countries debt problem (because
>> of unfunded liabilities for health care) is to borrow more money to
>> expand eligibility for health care.  Huh?  Run that by me again, I may
>> have skipped that day of class.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> -------------
>>
>>    * SEPTEMBER 15, 2009, 5:53 A.M. ET
>>
>> A Protectionist President
>> Like Hoover, Obama is abdicating U.S. trade leadership.
>>
>>
>> President Obama traveled to Wall Street yesterday to press his case
>> for more financial regulation, but the bigger economic issue of the
>> day concerned other White House policies. To wit, what does it mean
>> for the world economy if America now has its first protectionist
>> President since Herbert Hoover?
>>
>> The smell of trade war is suddenly in the air. Mr. Obama slapped a 35%
>> tariff on Chinese tires Friday night, and China responded on the
>> weekend by threatening to retaliate against U.S. chickens and auto
>> parts. That followed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's demand on
>> Thursday that Europe impose a carbon tariff on imports from countries
>> that don't follow its cap-and-trade diktats. "We need to impose a
>> carbon tax at [Europe's] border. I will lead that battle," he said.
>> [Protectionist]
>>
>> Mr. Sarkozy was following U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who has
>> endorsed a carbon tax on imports, and the U.S. House of
>> Representatives, which passed a carbon tariff as part of its
>> cap-and-tax bill. This in turn followed the "Buy American" provisions
>> of the stimulus, which has incensed much of Canada; Congress's bill to
>> ban Mexican trucks from U.S. roads in direct violation of Nafta,
>> prompting Mexico to retaliate against U.S. farm and kitchen goods; and
>> the must-make-cars-in-America provisions of the auto bailouts.
>> Meanwhile, U.S. trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea
>> languish in Congress.
>>
>> Through all of this Mr. Obama has either said nothing or objected so
>> feebly that Congress has assumed he doesn't mean it. Despite his
>> pro-forma demurrals, Mr. Obama's actions and nonactions are telling
>> the world that the U.S. is abandoning the global leadership on trade
>> that Presidents of both parties have worked to maintain since the
>> 1930s. His advisers whisper that their man is merely playing a little
>> tactical domestic politics, but he is playing with fire, as the last
>> 80 years of trade history should tell him.
>> ***
>>
>> The modern free-trade era began during the Great Depression, after the
>> catastrophe of the Smoot-Hawley tariff of June 1930. Hoover also
>> thought he was shrewdly playing tactical politics by adopting a tariff
>> that the economist Joseph Schumpeter said was the "household remedy"
>> of the Republican Party at the time. But the tariff ignited a
>> beggar-thy-neighbor reaction around the world, and the flow of global
>> goods and services collapsed.
>>
>>
>> FDR's Secretary of State Cordell Hull recognized the damage, and he
>> began rebuilding a pro-trade consensus with a series of bilateral
>> accords in the 1930s. In the aftermath of World War II, John Maynard
>> Keynes, Harry Dexter White and others on both sides of the Atlantic
>> continued this progress by negotiating the Bretton Woods currency
>> accords and creating the Global Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
>>
>> Like Britain in the 19th century, the U.S. has been the linchpin of
>> this liberal trading order that despite occasional setbacks has moved
>> in the direction of lower tariffs and fewer nontariff barriers. As the
>> world's largest economy, the U.S. has largely kept its market open,
>> using access to U.S. consumers as a lever to open other countries to
>> foreign goods and services. Even as Big Labor broke with this
>> consensus, Bill Clinton continued this bipartisan tradition by
>> supporting Nafta, and prodding Congress to ratify the World Trade
>> Organization and most-favored nation trading status for China.
>>
>> Following America's lead, countries that were once largely closed
>> economically?especially China and India?have in turn opened up to
>> foreign goods and services. The result has been an explosion in world
>> trade, especially since the 1980s, as the nearby chart makes clear.
>> This boom has coincided with rising incomes in countries connected by
>> trade and the free flow of capital, especially in the developing world
>> but also in America. While some U.S. jobs have vanished, new
>> industries have emerged, and the U.S. has maintained its lead in
>> manufacturing productivity.
>> ***
>>
>> This 80-year history of free-trade progress is now under threat from
>> the global recession and Mr. Obama's abdication of U.S. leadership.
>> Labor's antitrade views now dominate in the Democratic Congress and
>> liberal think tanks. As ominous, protectionism is increasingly
>> justified by Democratic economists on political grounds.
>>
>> Paul Krugman, the chief economist for House Democrats, has endorsed a
>> carbon tariff. And Clyde Prestowitz, who insisted in the 1980s that
>> Japanese mercantilism would rule the world, went so far as to argue in
>> the Financial Times last week that imposing tariffs on China would
>> strike a blow for free trade. As economic logic, this compares to the
>> argument that the way to reduce government health-care spending is to
>> pass a new trillion-dollar entitlement.
>>
>> President Bush and his trade negotiator Robert Zoellick also claimed
>> that the protectionism of their 2001 steel tariffs would lead to more
>> free-trade support, but the move merely exposed U.S. hypocrisy and
>> undermined global trade talks. The reality is that without the U.S.
>> leading by example, the world trading order is likely to deteriorate
>> into every country for itself. This is especially dangerous amid a
>> global recession in which world merchandise trade volume fell by
>> roughly 33% from the second quarter of 2008 to June 2009. Reviving
>> trade flows is crucial to restoring global growth.
>>
>> Mr. Obama may not intend to start a trade war, but then Hoover didn't
>> set out to pick one either. His political abdication is what made it
>> possible, however, and trade passions once unleashed can be impossible
>> to control. On his present course, President Obama is giving the world
>> every reason to conclude he is a protectionist.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Brad,
>> >
>> > When you go to the doctor with circulation problems, does the doctor
>> > take
>> > blood out of your leg and put it back into your arm to get that blood
>> moving
>> > around better??? Stupid right??? Does that kinda sound like cash for
>> > clunkers???
>> >
>> > I am just simply befuddled at the amount of people who don't and/or
>> > don't
>> > want, to see how things always work out in countries with
>> > socialist/facist/marxist regimes. It's happened a hundred times over the
>> > centuries. It's written in the history books so much that it sticks out
>> like
>> > a sore thumb. You always end up with two classes of people. The 95%
>> > (governees) to use one of Obama's favorite numbers. who take whatever
>> scraps
>> > the governing class doesn't waste on themselves. And the 5% of the boot
>> > lickers who have curried favor with the governing class by throwing
>> > money
>> or
>> > other favors at the governers who live quite extravagantly and well.....
>> > UNTIL they piss off the governer above them. Then if they're lucky they
>> are
>> > thrown out to spend their days in the bread line with the rest of the
>> > 95%
>> > or, if they're not so fortunate, there always seems to be plenty of jail
>> > space for those that have trouble agreeing with the party line.
>> > Sometimes
>> if
>> > things get bad enough these folks might even disappear ......
>> >
>> > People can't/won't see that this administration is loaded with little
>> > governers that are thinking along the lines laid out above. Look at the
>> > people he surrounds himself with Van jones (self-avowed communist) Cass
>> > Sunstein (Not a S/C justice yet, but I bet they try), Ron Bloom (union
>> > boss/hack) deputy secratary of labor and the list goes on and on. Just
>> look
>> > at the name Mr. Obama has chosen to use for his closest advisors. Czars,
>> > does it get anymore soviet than that??? 'Course, I guess Bush started
>> that
>> > in his admin. But I don't care, I just hate that we would even use such
>> > a
>> > word. It's just one more step down the slippery slope of indoctrination.
>> >
>> >
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/08/out-commie-truther-green-jobs-czar-in-union-hack-manufacturing-czar/
>> >
>> > http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/11/the-cass-sunstein-vote/
>> >
>> > The chinese say: May you live in interesting times. Personally, I hoping
>> for
>> > a little less "interesting" than this.
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 6:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Here we go again.  For a quick refresher on history and economics, go
>> here
>> >> -
>> >>
>> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act
>> >>
>> >> For a short story on the predictable folly of Cash-4-Clunkers go here -
>> >>
>> >> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090913/ap_on_bi_ge/us_life_after_clunkers
>> >>
>> >> Now, the looking out for special interests (steelworkers union) is
>> >> starting to get really dangerous (see story below). We took Cora to
>> >> the county fair yesterday and I stopped by the  New Holland dealer's
>> >> equipment display.  The local dealer I bought my backhoe and
>> >> skid-steer from and then shipped to Gulfport went out of business.
>> >> The company that took over from them has gone out of business.  The
>> >> local Case dealer recently went bankrupt (both Case and New Holland
>> >> are owned by Fiat). We talked equipment and I made some complaints
>> >> about our rubber tracked skid-steer's engineering (built in Kansas)
>> >> and shared our "fixes" that my brother engineered in the field. We are
>> >> extremely pleased with our New Holland backhoe (formerly Ford) that is
>> >> built in Italy with a Cummins diesel engine (Indiana). The dealer
>> >> asked if I was in the market for an excavator and I explained that we
>> >> had one - a Hyundai, Korean designed, built outside of Beijing with a
>> >> Mitsubishi engine and a Clark (US) drive train. If I were to buy
>> >> another one it would be a Sany, designed in China with final  assembly
>> >> done in Georgia with a Cummins engine. I don't buy Caterpillar or
>> >> Komatsu because it is too expensive on the front-end.  You recoup that
>> >> cost when you sell used but I don't plan to sell anything.  The bottom
>> >> line is this - there is no such thing as a pure domestic construction
>> >> equipment manufacturer.  My sister-in-law was the CFO for Greater Asia
>> >> for a mining truck manufacturer based near Bill E (CT)for over a year.
>> >>  You start a major trade war and all kinds of unforeseen consequences
>> >> start happening. Caterpillar equipment is very popular in China - I
>> >> saw a lot of Cat equipment on the train ride from Shanghai to Beijing.
>> >> Are we going to bailout the UAW in Peoria when the Chinese market for
>> >> CAT get's shutout? What about GM?  We, the taxpayers own GM. Shouldn't
>> >> we be a bit worried about retaliation against Shanghai Buick? What
>> >> about Boeing? This is a slippery slope we're being led down by someone
>> >> with a poor understanding of economics, or perhaps someone who
>> >> understands economics quite well but is really a Marxist.
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>> >> -------------
>> >>
>> >> US tyre duties spark China clash
>> >>
>> >> By Geoff Dyer in Beijing and Tom Braithwaite in Washington
>> >>
>> >> Published: September 13 2009 06:53 | Last updated: September 14 2009
>> 11:57
>> >>
>> >> A full-blown trade row erupted between the US and China after Beijing
>> >> accused Washington of ?rampant protectionism? for imposing heavy
>> >> duties on imported Chinese tyres and threatened action against imports
>> >> of US poultry and vehicles.
>> >>
>> >> Trade relations between two of the world?s biggest economies
>> >> deteriorated after Barack Obama, US president, signed an order late on
>> >> Friday to impose a new duty of 35 per cent on Chinese tyre imports on
>> >> top of an existing 4 per cent tariff.
>> >>
>> >> In his first big test on world trade since taking office in January,
>> >> Mr Obama sided with America?s trade unions, which have complained that
>> >> a ?surge? in imports of Chinese-made tyres had caused 7,000 job losses
>> >> among US factory workers.
>> >>
>> >> Chen Deming, China?s minister of commerce, condemned the decision,
>> >> saying that it ?sends the wrong signal to the world? at a time when
>> >> Washington and Beijing should be co-operating to deal with the worst
>> >> economic and financial crisis in decades.
>> >>
>> >> ?This is a grave act of trade protectionism,? Mr Chen said in a
>> >> statement. ?Not only does it violate WTO rules, it contravenes
>> >> commitments the US government made at the [April] G20 financial
>> >> summit.?
>> >>
>> >> Beijing said it had requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the US
>> >> over Washington?s new duties on tyres. Yao Jian, a commerce ministry
>> >> spokesman, said the duties were in ?violation of WTO rules?.
>> >>
>> >> China said it would now investigate imports of US poultry and
>> >> vehicles, responding to complaints from domestic companies.
>> >>
>> >> The US earlier warned Beijing against taking retaliatory action.
>> >> ?Retaliation would be inappropriate, as the United States acted
>> >> entirely within the bounds of trade laws and within the safeguard
>> >> provision that China itself agreed to upon accession to the World
>> >> Trade Organisation,? said an official from the Office of the United
>> >> States Trade Representative.
>> >>
>> >> US officials said they were scrutinising the export of poultry and
>> >> vehicles, but said any action in retaliation by China could result in
>> >> a complaint by the US to the WTO.
>> >>
>> >> Key Tokyo rubber futures tumbled more than 9 per cent to a three-week
>> >> low on Monday, according to Reuters. News of the additional duties on
>> >> US tyre imports from China combined with sharply lower oil prices and
>> >> a stronger yen to push Tokyo rubber futures prices below Y200 a
>> >> kilogramme.
>> >>
>> >> The dispute comes less than a fortnight before Mr Obama is due to host
>> >> world leaders at a summit of G20 nations in Pittsburgh and ahead of
>> >> his planned visit to China in November.
>> >>
>> >> The decision to impose extra tyre tariffs followed a petition by the
>> >> United Steelworkers union, which represents workers at many US tyre
>> >> factories. Official US figures show an increase in imports by volume
>> >> from 14.6m tyres in 2004 to 46m in 2008. The US data shows that the
>> >> value of tyre imports from China increased from $453.3m in 2004 to
>> >> $1.8bn in 2008. Four US plants closed in 2006 and 2007 and three more
>> >> are likely to be closed this year. US production capacity has fallen
>> >> by 17.8 per cent in the past four years, according to the official
>> >> data.
>> >>
>> >> Eswar Prasad, professor of trade economics at Cornell University,
>> >> warned that the disagreement could escalate. ?These protectionist
>> >> measures, some of which amount to domestic political posturing rather
>> >> than substantive restraints on trade, could easily ratchet up into a
>> >> full-blown trade war and inflict serious economic damage on both
>> >> countries,? he said.
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 19:07:17 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:07:17 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
Message-ID: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>

You're not gonna believe this one -

http://tinyurl.com/n8w3sh

These ACORN people are NUTS!  Exactly what did The One do before he
ran for politics? What does the acronym ACORN stand for?

Brad

From ekroposki at charter.net  Tue Sep 15 19:25:52 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:25:52 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Toyota engine plant
Message-ID: <F850F139CE3541A3AE547EA864A5A654@YOURB88038198E>

So, Toyota is building an engine plant in Mississippi?

Originally they were going to use an vacant plant in Michigan.  The president of Toyota and his key people met with the Governor, the state economic development department, local political people where the plant was and union representatives.

Toyota's president was actually their to sign the purchase of plant agreements.  The first hour went well, then the governor asked the union representatives to speak.  They explained that it would be a union shop and the company was to pay for certain union jobs in addition to actual workers.  The union people went on to explain how it was to be treated, etc.

It was time for a break and the Toyota president meet with his people outside of ear shot of others.  They quietly left the building and were on their company jet before the Governor and others realized they were gone.

I believe that I told this story on the Rhodes list at least once.  I got it from a economic development guy who was at the meeting.  He subsequently relocated in the southeast and told the story locally to a group of commercial developers here.  

Ed K

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From flybrad at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 19:42:22 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:42:22 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] The Next Van Jones
Message-ID: <400985d70909151642x46f00ca2j7df5916bb9a81938@mail.gmail.com>

 Valerie Jarrett: The Next Van Jones
By: Ben Johnson
Monday, September 14, 2009

Barack Obama?s alter ego has extensive ties to a 60s radical who would
?probably reject violence as a useful form of revolution.?

Many have wondered how ANYONE AS EXTREME AS Obama?S ?Green Jobs Czar?
Van Jones ? a self-described ?Communist? obsessed with racial
conspiracy theories ? could have been named to head a federal agency.
David Horowitz described the radicalization of the Democratic Party as
the appointment?s subtext. Closer to the fore, Jones owed his
elevation to another new factor: the unparalleled influence of Valerie
Jarrett. To call Jarrett a presidential adviser, even a close adviser,
is misleading. She is an alter ego, an inner conscience, a touchstone
of clarity for both President Obama and first lady Michelle. In the
frenzy of the presidency, she reminds both Obamas of their identity
and deepest-held beliefs. In exchange, the president makes no decision
without her and has said she can ?speak for me.? Unfortunately, she is
also a racially polarizing elitist. She obtained her first foothold in
Chicago politics through the patronage of a former SDS radical who
regrets ?nothing? about her role in the Days of Rage and ventured in
2003 that she ?would probably reject violence as a useful form of
revolution.? The same radical tried to persuade Rod Blagojevich to
name Jarrett to Obama?s empty senate seat. Instead, Jarrett has served
as a conduit of far-leftists into the administration.



?We Have Kind of a Mind Meld?



One thing is beyond question: Jarrett?s unprecedented sway over the
president. An Obama 2008 campaign official told the New York Times,
?If you want him to do something, there are two people he?s not going
to say no to: Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama.? Susan Sher, who
helped Jarrett recruit Michelle Obama to the Chicago mayor?s office
before Michelle married the president, said, ?I don?t think either of
them [the Obamas] made major decisions without talking to her,? adding
that Jarrett failed to appreciate ?how incredibly instrumental she?ll
be in virtually everything? in the White House.



The president confirms Jarrett?s tremendous cache with him, personally
and politically. In July, Obama told New York Times reporter Robert
Draper, ?I trust her completely?She is family.? Obama trusts Jarrett
?to speak for me, particularly when we?re dealing with delicate
issues.? When asked, he admitted he runs every decision by her.



If Jarrett failed to anticipate her power, she acknowledges her
closeness to the leader of the free world. ?We have kind of a mind
meld,? Jarrett said about Obama. ?And chances are, what he wants to do
is what I?d want to do.? Chicago tycoon Martin Nesbitt identified the
source of Jarrett?s power in the fact that she establishes both
Michelle and Barack?s ?whole notion of authenticity.? Nesbitt relates
she channels the Obamas? inner voice, telling them: ?That?s not you.
You wouldn?t say that. Somebody else is saying that. Barack Obama
wouldn?t say that.? Jarrett admitted to Vogue, ?I kind of know what
makes them who they are.?



Part of who Jarrett is can be seen in her obsession with racial
issues. After the Jeremiah Wright tapes threatened to sink his
campaign, it was Jarrett who encouraged Barack to give his ?race
speech? at Constitution Hall (the speech that sent the infamous thrill
up Chris Matthews? leg). African-American administration staffers have
said without her patronage ?their opinions and the often-legitimate
concerns voiced by black leaders like [Al] Sharpton would have been
thoroughly disregarded by the white-dominated senior staff.? (Emphasis
added.) A black staffer claimed ?there?s a cultural nuance? white
Obama officials ?just didn?t get.? If so, it?s not for Jarrett?s lack
of hectoring. When Robert Gibbs tried to downplay Obama?s statement
that Republicans were emphasizing that Obama ?doesn?t look like all
those other presidents on the dollar bills,? Jarrett instructed white
staffers, ?You guys, you?re not getting this issue right.? After
Jarrett?s intervention, the allegedly post-racial candidate Obama
brought the white staff into line, telling them they were too ?gun-shy
on race issues.? A campaign source revealed, ?moving forward, the
candidate made it very clear to us that we were just a bunch of white
people who didn?t get it ? which, by the way, was true.?



After the inauguration, Jarrett successfully pushed to loosen
restrictions barring officials from meeting with lobbyists, a rule
enshrined in Obama?s executive memo on the Recovery Act, for fear
other ?legitimate? concerns ? raised by ?civil rights organizations
whose directors happen to be registered lobbyists ? will not be
heard.?



Without her patronage, it seems Van Jones would not be heard. A White
House official told Politico Jones ?did not go through the traditional
vetting process?; instead, Jarrett interviewed Jones, a signal she
bucked for his appointment. Jarrett gushed to the Netroots Nation
conference: ?We were so delighted to be able to recruit him into the
White House. We were watching him?for as long as he?s been active out
in Oakland. And all the creative ideas he has. And so now, we have
captured that, and we have all that energy in the White House.?



Jarrett lobbied Obama to create the office of Chief Diversity Officer
within the FCC, a position filled by Mark Lloyd, an Alinskyite and
former senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, who appears
fixated on silencing conservative talk radio. Her intent, according to
some, was to change policy by altering the structure of the FCC.
Jarrett also helped recruit Cass Sunstein, who believes in the
Fairness Doctrine, has argued we should ?celebrate tax day,? and
believes animals should have legal standing to sue humans. (This is a
growing movement on the Green Left. As I note in chapter seven of my
book Teresa Heinz Kerry?s Radical Gifts, the Heinz Endowments gave
$25,000 to the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, which
complains that ?trees and forests and streams and cougars and bears ?
they have no rights under our structure of governance.?) As David
Horowitz has noted, Saul Alinsky wrote, ?From the moment an organizer
enters a community, he lives, dreams, eats, breathes, sleeps only one
thing, and that is to build the mass power base of what he calls the
army.? Part of that motion involves burrowing into existing structures
and changing them from the inside out ? as has been done in academia,
the major tax-exempt foundations, the Democratic Party, and now the
U.S. government.



Who is Valerie Jarrett?



Part of Jarrett?s identification with the president is her
international childhood and experience as an African-American growing
up abroad. She was born in Shriaz, Iran, to a renowned physician
father and spent the first five years of her life in Iran. There, she
said, she was treated as an American, not an African-American. Her
family lived in London for one year before settling in Chicago?s elite
neighborhood, Hyde Park, where she was teased for both her race and
British accent. Chicago-based journalist Lynn Sweet reports, ?In the
manner of privileged Hyde Park-Kenwood children from smart families,
Jarrett went to the exclusive University of Chicago Lab School before
transferring to her mother?s alma mater, Northfield Mt. Hermon, in
western Massachusetts for the last two years of high school.? After
graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, she went to
work for Chicago?s first African-American mayor, Harold Washington,
whose election many Sixties radicals attributed to themselves. After
Washington?s death in 1987, she stayed on under his successor, Richard
Daley. In City Hall, she and her colleague Susan Sher recruited
Michelle Robinson, then engaged to Barack Obama, and Jarrett quickly
melded her way into their lives.



After Daley administration in-fighting, Jarrett continued to serve
Daley in a different capacity and found a job at Habitat, a real
estate firm headed by Daniel Levin. (Daniel is the cousin of Sen. Carl
Levin and Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan.) Michelle Malkin has noted
the tracts of public housing ? including that bearing the name of her
grandfather ? have deteriorated after being run by Habitat. Although
the New York Times lists the stint as ?baggage,? it proved profitable,
and she has gone on to sit on numerous corporate, civic, and academic
boards.



Sweet noted to whom Jarrett owed much of her success: ?Activist public
affairs consultant with close ties to City Hall Marilyn Katz
introduced Jarrett to Levin.?



With a Little Help from my (Radical) Friends



Who is this person to whom Jarrett is so indebted ? and who, we shall
see, she calls a personal friend? Marilyn Katz provided ?security? for
Students for a Democratic Society at the 1968 Democratic Convention.
Undercover Chicago policeman William Frapolly told prosecutors that
during the Days of Rage, Katz showed protesters a new weapon to use
against the police: ?a cluster of nails that were sharpened at both
ends, and they were fastened in the center.? Police later reported
being hit by golf balls with nails through them, as well as excrement.
Years later, Katz would insist her ?guerrilla nails? were merely ?a
defensive weapon? to prevent ?possible bad behavior by the police.?



The SDS soon imploded. Bill Ayers ? whom Katz has known since he was
17 ? helped create the terrorist Weather Underground from its ranks.
In 1971-2, Katz would lead another remnant to form the New American
Movement (NAM), a combined Old Left-New Left organization that
included Communist Party USA members from the 1930s. Rabbi Michael
Lerner was among its early founders, though he left to start his own
organization. (His reaction when David Horowitz rebuffed his
recruitment efforts is described in Radical Son, p. 274.) NAM?s
primary political text, entitled Basic Marxism: What It Is & How to
Use It, revealed the group?s devotion to Gramsci. For most of the
Seventies, the organization?s local chapters ran socialist ?schools?
open to the public with little national structure. The L.A. school
listed as the first point in NAM?s ?basic perspective?: its belief
?that a socialist revolution will be necessary to solve the problems
of the U.S.? NAM declared its ?solidarity with the Third World grew
out of a correct reaction to United States chauvinism.? A 1973 NAM
manifesto declared: ?We admire, and draw inspiration from, many
accomplishments from the Russian, Chinese, Cuban and Vietnamese
revolutions?as representing, on balance, very positive steps forward
in human history?we deeply value Lenin?s contributions to
revolutionary theory and practice?We identify with Lenin?s
revolutionary spirit and determination; we agree with his critique of
mechanistic determinism and economism, his writings on the nature of
the state, his approach to creating a ?revolutionary alliance of the
oppressed,? and his treatment of nationalism and imperialism.? Katz,
through NAM, founded the Reproductive Rights National Network in
1977-8. A sympathetic author summed up R2N2?s motivation: ?The
long-term goal was to develop an ?offensive movement? [against the
pro-life movement] that could fight for a more comprehensive set of
demands as the conditions for ?free choice,? including child care,
national health-care, high-quality education, and guaranteed income.?
Sound familiar?



NAM?s local chapters merged with Michael Harrington?s Democratic
Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) in 1983 to form the Democratic
Socialists of America.



That year, Katz became an organizational entrepreneur herself,
founding MK Communications, Inc., a public relations firm. Its clients
include the ACLU, Amnesty International, Chicagoans Against War &
Injustice, Harold Washington 1983-1987 Mayoral Campaign, Lloyd
Doggett?s senate campaign, Human Rights Watch, Illinois Campaign for
Choice, Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty, the socialist
publication In These Times, the MacArthur Foundation, Mother Jones,
National Community Development Initiative (for the Rockefeller
Foundation), UAW Local 719, and numerous City of Chicago accounts.
Katz did spin for the developers of the ?Presidential Towers,? a
HUD-financed yuppie-heaven which moved homeless out of Skid Row in
hopes of moving the upper middle class into their place. The new Mayor
Daley?s rapprochement with SDS nail-throwers became most conspicuous
in 1996, when he, Katz, and the Chicago Seven did PR for the 1996
Democratic National Convention, which returned to Chicago.  The
Chicago Tribune?s John Kass reported, even as he laid off 1,000 city
workers, he gave ?Katz and other public relations firms five-year
contracts that could pay them as much as $5 million each.? As part of
Katz?s work for the city, she wrote press releases for the Chicago
Transit Authority, then headed by Jarrett.



Katz had a few other noteworthy clients: Project Vote, the
ACORN-affiliated voter registry that first brought Barack Obama to
Chicago as a ?communist organizer?; the Habitat Company; The Joyce
Foundation, on whose board Obama sat; and History Makers, which
interviewed Valerie Jarrett, her mother, and her father-in-law.



Katz called on her radical rolodex in 2002, when she and former
national secretary Carl Davidson started Chicagoans Against the War in
Iraq. (He and and Tom Hayden  founded the Venceremos Brigades, a joint
triumph of Cuban intelligence and the KGB. In 1992, he joined the
Committees of Correspondence, now known as Committees of
Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. He has also been active
nationally with United for Peace and Justice. In December 2008, Katz
was also elected to UFPJ?s national steering committee.) Katz and
Bettylu Saltzman organized the 2002 antiwar demonstration where the
little-known state senator Obama gave his famous speech opposing the
Iraq war, calling it a ?stupid? war, and a conspiracy by Karl Rove to
?distract? from the (by then recovering) economy. This speech made
Obama the choice of his party?s left-wing in 2008.



Katz knew of Obama politically and through Valerie Jarrett. Davidson,
too, knew of Obama, writing on the Marxism Mailing List he had ?known
Obama from the time he came to the New Party to get our endorsement
for his first race ever. I've been in his home, and as an IL
legislator, he's helped or community technology movement a number of
times.? He later assessed an Obama economic speech, finding, ?I
probably couldn't written a better one myself.? Together, he and Katz
wrote the book Stopping War, Seeking Justice: Essays in a Time of
Empire.



Now a longtime beneficiary of Democratic spoils, Katz put her new
organization to work for the party. CAWI ? which lists ?allies? like
MoveOn.org, Code Pink, International ANSWER, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition,
and the World Can?t Wait ? trained 200 people to register voters in
2003. Katz and Davidson wrote an article, ?From Protest to Politics,?
urging radicals to support Democrat John Kerry. Four years later, in a
blog entry adorned with a picture of Barack Obama, Davidson urged
readers of the CAWI homepage to ?[b]reak decisively with the ultraleft
mindset, in order to deepen and broaden left-progressive unity.?
Davidson later attempted to defend Obama, writing:



Obama is a decent liberal out of the Alinksky [sic.] tradition of
community organizers. Everyone knows there's nothing Marxist about
Alinsky. I?m simply an acquaintance of Obama, meeting him three times
for a few minutes over 15 years?Harold Washington's movement, for
instance, was launched by Black nationalists and independent Black
Democrats, hardly ?connected? to the socialist left. Obama really does
have mentors, but certainly not me?It?s two very tough, accomplished,
influential and smart Black liberal women, Valerie Jarrett and Susan
Rice.



If Katz?s tactics have changed, her underlying ideology has not. In
the article, Katz and Davidson agreed: ?it is true that the next
president of the U.S. will represent one or another imperialist
grouping?We should do this without illusions. The day after Bush?s
defeat, the U.S. will still be an imperialist power.? (Emphasis
added.)



Last August, Katz and her old SDS comrade Don Rose (who mentored David
Axelrod, another friend of Katz) met with In These Times to discuss
the 40th anniversary of the Days of Rage. When asked if they learned
anything from the violence, she first charged the FBI with having 28
Black Panthers ?assassinated,? calling the mythical murders ?a wakeup
call where we saw the underbelly of our own country.? She then offered
her takeaway from 40 years? reflection on the rebellion she led: ?I
would have to say for me permanently, I would probably reject violence
as a useful form of revolution.?



Probably.



Asked whether she regretted her actions ?in this age of terrorism,?
she replied, ?I regret nothing.?



Katz: Obamas? Friend, Blagojevich?s Suppliant



Katz is not merely a friend of Jarrett?s but also both Obamas. The
president met Katz through his first job at a law firm run by Judd
Miner. The New York Times reports Katz ?gave him entry into another
activist network: the foot soldiers of the white student and black
power movements that helped define Chicago in the 1960s.? Michelle
Obama has close social ties with her, as well. Biographer Liza Mundy
quotes Katz as saying the moment Jarrett introduced Michelle Obama to
her friends, Michelle ?was recognized as brilliant and beautiful, and
immediately accepted into a very sophisticated social circle.? Mundy
writes Michelle ?and Barack?enjoyed a range of relations with people
who shared their lifestyle, as well as their progressive views and
political involvement. ?These are folks,? says Marilyn Katz, a member
of their social circle, ?who talk to their friends a number of times a
day.? Mundy describes a May 2008 fundraiser for DSA member Rep. Jan
Schakowsky, which Katz attended and Michelle Obama addressed.



>From their common social circle, Katz was welcomed into the Obama
campaign. Like Code Pink radical Jodie Evans, Marilyn Katz became a
bundler for Obama, as well as a member of his national finance
committee. According to Public Citizen, Katz raised at least $50,000
for Obama ?08.



After seeing one friend elevated to power, the graying radical tried
to convince disgraced Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich to appoint
Valerie Jarrett to Obama?s open U.S. Senate seat. The Times describes
Katz as ?a friend? of Jarrett?s who encouraged Jarrett to step out of
Obama?s shadow and ?be the sun.? Katz tried to schedule lunch with the
governor?s wife, Patti, to advocate for her friend?s appointment. When
that failed to materialize, Rod Blagojevich writes in his new book,
Katz contacted the governor and ?indicated that if I appointed Valerie
Jarrett to the U.S. Senate, the Obama people would help me raise money
from their network of contributors across the country.? Federal
investigators allege an unnamed individual suggested a three-way deal
for Blagojevich to appoint Jarrett to the seat, take a position with
the SEIU-affiliated ?Change to Win? labor coalition, and then have
President Obama bolster the organization.



Ultimately, nothing came of Katz?s overture. Jarrett opted to stay in
the White House. (Why would she want a demotion?) In late July, Katz
joined Jarrett and Sher in Washington at the Obama administration?s
celebration of the 37th anniversary of Title IX. Katz, the unrepentant
?60s nail-tosser, now has a well-placed patron and a history as part
of the first family?s inner circle. All three are indebted to her,
literally or figuratively, and she enjoys their affections. Though she
is the most disturbing to come to light, she is hardly Jarrett?s only
extremist influence.



It Runs in the Family



Her late father-in-law, Vernon Jarrett, was a pioneering black
journalist in ?negro? newspapers, After graduating from Knoxville
College, Vernon Jarrett started at The Chicago Defender in 1946, where
he wrote columns extolling Communist poet Langston Hughes and lifelong
Stalinists W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Robeson. (Obama would write in
Dreams of My Father that ?I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin
and Malcolm [X], DuBois and Mandela.?) A contemporary writer at Kansas
City Star asserts by 1948 Jarrett ?had been forced out [of journalism]
by the Cold War, the Red scare and racism.? He freelanced at Kansas
City?s The Call from 1954-58, then returned to Chicago to become the
first nationally syndicated black columnist for the Chicago Tribune,
and still later wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times. Valerie married his
son, William Robert Jarrett, who preceded his father in death.
Together, they had a daughter, who now attends Harvard. The elder
Jarrett may have been part of his daughter-in-law?s rise through
Chicago?s political ranks. The Washington Post called Jarrett ?a key
influence in [Harold] Washington's decision to run for the Chicago
mayoralty.?



Vernon Jarrett later wrote of another up-and-coming political figure
in the Chicago Sun-Times:



Good news! Good news! Project Vote, a collectivity of 10 church-based
community organizations dedicated to black voter registration, is off
and running. Project Vote is increasing its rolls at a 7,000-per-week
clip. Just last Saturday it registered 2,000 during the Chicago
Defender's annual Bud Billiken Parade. But now, the not-so-good news:
If Project Vote is to reach its goal of registering 150,000 out of an
estimated 400,000 unregistered blacks statewide, ?it must average
10,000 rather than 7,000 every week,? says Barack Obama, the program's
executive director??There's a lot of talk about `black power' among
the young but so little action.?



When Vernon died in 2004, he was saluted in the pages of People?s
Weekly Worker, the house organ of the Communist Party USA. A final
point of confluence, perhaps more fortuitous than anything: Vernon
Jarrett once sat on a union publicity committee with Frank Marshall
Davis, the Communist poet who occasionally counseled?the young Barack
Obama.



Valerie Jarrett had more immediate radical ties. Her mother, Barbara
Taylor Bowman, co-founded Her mother, Barbara Taylor Bowman,
co-founded the Erickson Institute in Chicago and still serves on its
Board of Trustees. Tom Ayers, the father of Bill Ayers, was a one-time
fellow trustee. According to WorldNet Daily?s Brad O?Leary, the
Erickson board also included Bill Ayers? wife, Bernadine Dohrn. For
his part, Bill Ayers called Bowman ?a neighbor and friend? in his book
A Kind and Just Parent, noting his neighbors include Louis Farrakhan
(whose guard, The Fruit of Islam, patrols the neighborhood and ?has an
eye on things twenty-four hours a day?), and ?writer Barack Obama.?



Mr. Obama?s Neighborhood



Perhaps this last reference is the key to understanding Jarrett and
the Obamas: their common formation by Chicago?s elite Hyde Park
neighborhood. The University of Chicago essentially created the
neighborhood from scratch, driving out its poor (and middle class)
residents, of all races, and creating a chic atmosphere of cultural
elitism. This bubble reflected the far-Left bubble of modern academia
? though it would not hurt Obama?s political fortunes. Katz would tell
In These Times, ?I believe that Barack Obama could only have emerged
in Chicago,? because of its longtime confluence of radical
organizations, culminating in Washington?s mayoralty.



One of Obama?s neighbors, the late, left-wing Rabbi Arnold Wolf ? a
Democratic Socialist who once invited the Chicago 7 to address his
synagogue ? described the Hyde Park environment and Obama?s place in
it to The Weekly Standard. ?We had a party for him at our house when
he was just starting, back in the Nineties. I said right away: ?Here?s
a guy who could sell our product, and sell it with splendor!?? And
what is the Hyde Park ?product,? the reporter asked? ?It?s a rational,
progressive philosophy based on experience. You see it here. This
neighborhood is genuinely integrated. We did it here, we really did
it! Not just talk about it. Look around. And Barack and his family fit
right in. This is their neighborhood.? He then referred to Bill Ayers
as ?an aging, toothless radical, a pussycat,? and Dohrn as ?thoroughly
conventional, just very nice.?



That?s Jarrett?s product, and Obama?s. An international, rootless
wanderer abandoned by his father, and occasionally his mother, in
search of authenticity, he never felt at home until he found his
roots, and himself, in the milieu of Hyde Park ? a neighborhood big
enough to encompass everyone from Marilyn Katz to Bill Ayers, from
Tony Rezko?s vacant adjoining property to Louis Farrakhan?s wandering
?security? force.



And Valerie Jarrett.



Is this what Jarrett reminds the Obamas of: the neighborhood that has
been the president?s only true home and shaped or reinforced their
values and identity? An elitist sanctuary of pampered radicals,
racists, and terrorists, liberated of working class stiffs who
bitterly cling to their guns and religion?



Increasingly, it seems as though this is what ?makes them who they
are,? and is becoming the atmosphere Obama, with Jarrett?s help, is
recreating in his administration.
Ben Johnson is Managing Editor of FrontPage Magazine and co-author,
with David Horowitz, of the book Party of Defeat. He is also the
author of the books Teresa Heinz Kerry's Radical Gifts (2009) and 57
Varieties of Radical Causes: Teresa Heinz Kerry's Charitable Giving
(2004).


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Tue Sep 15 20:06:07 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:06:07 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909151706mcdd2aebt96983113fa3461b4@mail.gmail.com>

Oooo, lady you are BUSTED ..... as well as stupid

Gosh mister president, are you embarrassed yet?

Wanna' bet we get nothing even close to an apology for his naive
foolishness??

Rik

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 6:07 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> You're not gonna believe this one -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/n8w3sh
>
> These ACORN people are NUTS!  Exactly what did The One do before he
> ran for politics? What does the acronym ACORN stand for?
>
> Brad
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
-------------- next part --------------
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 09:57:34 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:57:34 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909151706mcdd2aebt96983113fa3461b4@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909151706mcdd2aebt96983113fa3461b4@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909160657s57c6ba38ic133d7da03fd370b@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Here's CNBC's take on Pimpaquiddik -

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1255619356

The NYT's was forced to write something, so according to them it's
just "conservatives out for blood". Even MSNBC is begrudgingly giving
it some coverage, but they "detest the methods".  Sure, that's
understandable.  Ya gotta be careful when you're dealing with turning
13yr old girls into sex slaves.

ACORN says they were framed, framed I tell ya!  "They took the
comments out of context, we was just joshing!  It's all the editing!"
Soooo, the kids released the unedited versions of the tapes today.
Tune in for more, they've got a new one coming out tonight.  And
another, and another, and another.

Jimma Carter says we're all racists.  Acorns, peanuts, nuts, nuts,
nuts. Where do we find these people?

Brad

On 9/15/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Oooo, lady you are BUSTED ..... as well as stupid
>
> Gosh mister president, are you embarrassed yet?
>
> Wanna' bet we get nothing even close to an apology for his naive
> foolishness??
>
> Rik
>
> On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 6:07 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> You're not gonna believe this one -
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/n8w3sh
>>
>> These ACORN people are NUTS!  Exactly what did The One do before he
>> ran for politics? What does the acronym ACORN stand for?
>>
>> Brad
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 10:44:49 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:44:49 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] John Galt, MD
Message-ID: <400985d70909160744w51df6d67n5dad7d16978dfdab@mail.gmail.com>

Ya don't say!

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=506199

Brad

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 10:42:49 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:42:49 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909160657s57c6ba38ic133d7da03fd370b@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909151706mcdd2aebt96983113fa3461b4@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909160657s57c6ba38ic133d7da03fd370b@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909160742s38fb42dy49fe1594d5dae21f@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Yep, I'm an American taxpayer who is just baffled as to why these people
were getting public funding in the first place.

I just read an article this morning that may uncover a deeper problem that
promotes these goings on. It's far too long to paste, but here's a link. A
very interesting read.

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws

Rik


On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:57 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> Here's CNBC's take on Pimpaquiddik -
>
> http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1255619356
>
> The NYT's was forced to write something, so according to them it's
> just "conservatives out for blood". Even MSNBC is begrudgingly giving
> it some coverage, but they "detest the methods".  Sure, that's
> understandable.  Ya gotta be careful when you're dealing with turning
> 13yr old girls into sex slaves.
>
> ACORN says they were framed, framed I tell ya!  "They took the
> comments out of context, we was just joshing!  It's all the editing!"
> Soooo, the kids released the unedited versions of the tapes today.
> Tune in for more, they've got a new one coming out tonight.  And
> another, and another, and another.
>
> Jimma Carter says we're all racists.  Acorns, peanuts, nuts, nuts,
> nuts. Where do we find these people?
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/15/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Oooo, lady you are BUSTED ..... as well as stupid
> >
> > Gosh mister president, are you embarrassed yet?
> >
> > Wanna' bet we get nothing even close to an apology for his naive
> > foolishness??
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 6:07 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> You're not gonna believe this one -
> >>
> >> http://tinyurl.com/n8w3sh
> >>
> >> These ACORN people are NUTS!  Exactly what did The One do before he
> >> ran for politics? What does the acronym ACORN stand for?
> >>
> >> Brad
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
-------------- next part --------------
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 11:50:28 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:50:28 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909160742s38fb42dy49fe1594d5dae21f@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909151706mcdd2aebt96983113fa3461b4@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909160657s57c6ba38ic133d7da03fd370b@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909160742s38fb42dy49fe1594d5dae21f@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909160850n53731f06l9ee071c3d0d7402c@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

First, let's deal with this raaaacist thingy.  Here's a link to a
bunch more links -

http://www.julescrittenden.com/2009/09/16/race-card/

This shit is getting really old.  For me personally, 50% of the people
I hang-out with are Chinese, another 25% are Indians, and the rest are
redneck blue-collar pilot types like me.  Maybe I AM racist - I don't
like the white half of Obama! Now when it comes to Mexicans, I could
be guilty of racism.  Right after Katrina, we would pick Mexicans
hanging around the Home Depot every time over the locals.
Fortunately, we weren't faced with our racist tendencies very often
because we didn't pick-n-choose after 6AM.  The White "workers" didn't
show until about 9AM.  By then we were too busy getting stuff done.
Give it a rest folks!

I watched the original interview with Brokaw and Friedman, and I'm
ashamed to say now that I used to purchase every Friedman book as soon
as it was published.  What an arrogant asshole he's turned out to be.
Mark Levin's book just passed the million mark in sales.  How many
reviews did Levin get in the NYT's?  Zero.  Washington Post?  Zero.
Michelle Malkin's book?  Zero.

These people don't want to report the news, they want to make the
news.  I give the American people credit for being intelligent enough
to watch Fox Noise and figure out what is true and what is "the hook"
to keep them watching until the next penis enhancer commercial is
over. But at least they REPORT!

Most sane and rationale voters know they've been had by now.  Hillary
fans knew what a phony this guy was. Palin voters, like myself, know
exactly what a jackass her running mate was so I don't hold a grudge
against anyone for voting for the other candidate.  But, if you
haven't figured out who and what The One is by now, I'm too busy to
waste my time with your lunacy.

Oh yeah, I could just be raaaacist!

Brad







On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Yep, I'm an American taxpayer who is just baffled as to why these people
> were getting public funding in the first place.
>
> I just read an article this morning that may uncover a deeper problem that
> promotes these goings on. It's far too long to paste, but here's a link. A
> very interesting read.
>
> http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws
>
> Rik
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:57 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Rik,
>>
>> Here's CNBC's take on Pimpaquiddik -
>>
>> http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1255619356
>>
>> The NYT's was forced to write something, so according to them it's
>> just "conservatives out for blood". Even MSNBC is begrudgingly giving
>> it some coverage, but they "detest the methods".  Sure, that's
>> understandable.  Ya gotta be careful when you're dealing with turning
>> 13yr old girls into sex slaves.
>>
>> ACORN says they were framed, framed I tell ya!  "They took the
>> comments out of context, we was just joshing!  It's all the editing!"
>> Soooo, the kids released the unedited versions of the tapes today.
>> Tune in for more, they've got a new one coming out tonight.  And
>> another, and another, and another.
>>
>> Jimma Carter says we're all racists.  Acorns, peanuts, nuts, nuts,
>> nuts. Where do we find these people?
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/15/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Oooo, lady you are BUSTED ..... as well as stupid
>> >
>> > Gosh mister president, are you embarrassed yet?
>> >
>> > Wanna' bet we get nothing even close to an apology for his naive
>> > foolishness??
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 6:07 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> You're not gonna believe this one -
>> >>
>> >> http://tinyurl.com/n8w3sh
>> >>
>> >> These ACORN people are NUTS!  Exactly what did The One do before he
>> >> ran for politics? What does the acronym ACORN stand for?
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=506199


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 12:18:21 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:18:21 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nuts! Nuts! Nuts!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909160850n53731f06l9ee071c3d0d7402c@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909151607p2bde7821p8c097a92b7a7251e@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909151706mcdd2aebt96983113fa3461b4@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909160657s57c6ba38ic133d7da03fd370b@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909160742s38fb42dy49fe1594d5dae21f@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909160850n53731f06l9ee071c3d0d7402c@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909160918u3b8f24e3wdd705d7bb0aaaf6e@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

I was just commenting to somebody else yesterday about this racist BS.

"I have said before that I was quite proud that our citizens were able to
elect a black man to be our president. This was a *BIG* step! However, the
problem comes after the election when it becomes apparent whether the man
is. to put it very simply, a smart black man, or a dumb black man. I have
great respect for many black people that I end up in contact with one way or
another. I have agreed with Colin Powell on many issues, Condi Rice is a
very smart black person, and a woman to boot. I read Thomas Sowell very
regularly and believe he's got more sense in his little finger on a bad day
than Barack Obama will ever have. Just to name three.

So, what it comes down to for me, and I believe most people, is not a choice
between black or white: It's a choice between smart or dumb."


I don't generally suffer fools, black or white, easily and Mr Obama is
proving to be one.


Rik


On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 10:50 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> First, let's deal with this raaaacist thingy.  Here's a link to a
> bunch more links -
>
> http://www.julescrittenden.com/2009/09/16/race-card/
>
> This shit is getting really old.  For me personally, 50% of the people
> I hang-out with are Chinese, another 25% are Indians, and the rest are
> redneck blue-collar pilot types like me.  Maybe I AM racist - I don't
> like the white half of Obama! Now when it comes to Mexicans, I could
> be guilty of racism.  Right after Katrina, we would pick Mexicans
> hanging around the Home Depot every time over the locals.
> Fortunately, we weren't faced with our racist tendencies very often
> because we didn't pick-n-choose after 6AM.  The White "workers" didn't
> show until about 9AM.  By then we were too busy getting stuff done.
> Give it a rest folks!
>
> I watched the original interview with Brokaw and Friedman, and I'm
> ashamed to say now that I used to purchase every Friedman book as soon
> as it was published.  What an arrogant asshole he's turned out to be.
> Mark Levin's book just passed the million mark in sales.  How many
> reviews did Levin get in the NYT's?  Zero.  Washington Post?  Zero.
> Michelle Malkin's book?  Zero.
>
> These people don't want to report the news, they want to make the
> news.  I give the American people credit for being intelligent enough
> to watch Fox Noise and figure out what is true and what is "the hook"
> to keep them watching until the next penis enhancer commercial is
> over. But at least they REPORT!
>
> Most sane and rationale voters know they've been had by now.  Hillary
> fans knew what a phony this guy was. Palin voters, like myself, know
> exactly what a jackass her running mate was so I don't hold a grudge
> against anyone for voting for the other candidate.  But, if you
> haven't figured out who and what The One is by now, I'm too busy to
> waste my time with your lunacy.
>
> Oh yeah, I could just be raaaacist!
>
> Brad
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > Yep, I'm an American taxpayer who is just baffled as to why these people
> > were getting public funding in the first place.
> >
> > I just read an article this morning that may uncover a deeper problem
> that
> > promotes these goings on. It's far too long to paste, but here's a link.
> A
> > very interesting read.
> >
> > http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws
> >
> > Rik
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:57 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Rik,
> >>
> >> Here's CNBC's take on Pimpaquiddik -
> >>
> >> http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1255619356
> >>
> >> The NYT's was forced to write something, so according to them it's
> >> just "conservatives out for blood". Even MSNBC is begrudgingly giving
> >> it some coverage, but they "detest the methods".  Sure, that's
> >> understandable.  Ya gotta be careful when you're dealing with turning
> >> 13yr old girls into sex slaves.
> >>
> >> ACORN says they were framed, framed I tell ya!  "They took the
> >> comments out of context, we was just joshing!  It's all the editing!"
> >> Soooo, the kids released the unedited versions of the tapes today.
> >> Tune in for more, they've got a new one coming out tonight.  And
> >> another, and another, and another.
> >>
> >> Jimma Carter says we're all racists.  Acorns, peanuts, nuts, nuts,
> >> nuts. Where do we find these people?
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> On 9/15/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > Oooo, lady you are BUSTED ..... as well as stupid
> >> >
> >> > Gosh mister president, are you embarrassed yet?
> >> >
> >> > Wanna' bet we get nothing even close to an apology for his naive
> >> > foolishness??
> >> >
> >> > Rik
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 6:07 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> You're not gonna believe this one -
> >> >>
> >> >> http://tinyurl.com/n8w3sh
> >> >>
> >> >> These ACORN people are NUTS!  Exactly what did The One do before he
> >> >> ran for politics? What does the acronym ACORN stand for?
> >> >>
> >> >> Brad
> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> fire,
> >> it
> >> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >> >
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
> http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=506199
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Wed Sep 16 18:57:58 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:57:58 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909141710h25fb046bk1b60b4c01646165e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <78050.60662.qm@web111210.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

>Well, I guess it is possible to be non-judgmental and stupid simultaneously.
One & the same, Rik.....
elle

--- On Mon, 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 8:10 PM

Elle,

"We are being non-jugdmental"

Well, I guess it is possible to be non-judgmental and stupid simultaneously.

And by God if it isn't possible then we're accomplishing the impossible. Surely a feat few can manage.


Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 12:13 PM, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:


>What the hell are we doing????
We are being non-jugdmental,....welcome to the world or relativism, where nothing is ever wrong.....it's all relative...what is wrong to you is not to someone more liberal...we have no absolutes anymore.

elle

--- On Mon, 9/14/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Whores
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com

Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 10:32 AM

Brad,

Seriously, It's time to consider throwing this president out in the street. I don't mean waiting four years either!! If he's allowed four years on
 this path, we may not be able to fix the damage he'll have done.


I had HUGE reservations about the use of gov't funds to support ACORN, before. In fact I can't imagine that we actually give our money to these people. Registering dead people to vote, coercing banks into making bad loans...? and now this ....



What the hell are we doing????

Rik

On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:


The videos keep coming -



http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/acorn-video-prostitution-scandal-in-new-york-ny/



First is was DC and ACORN said, "it was just one office and the

employees were fired", then it was Philly, now NYC. ?I wonder how many

more tapes are out there? ?These "kids" are answering every challenge

to a tape with a new tape.



LMAO!



Brad



On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> You won't read this story in the New York Times -

>

> http://tinyurl.com/om4c7z

>

> BTW, I mean no disrespect to sex-workers, they are mostly forced into

> their jobs. ?The whores are elected.

>

> Brad

>

_______________________________________________

SwiftwaterGazette mailing list

SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com

http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette




-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington





-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

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SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com

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_______________________________________________

SwiftwaterGazette mailing list

SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com

http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette





-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington



-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 11:09:46 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:09:46 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] John Galt, MD
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909160744w51df6d67n5dad7d16978dfdab@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909160744w51df6d67n5dad7d16978dfdab@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909160809i33ea063fy4ebe5b03620e3986@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Massachusetts is one good example, Maine is another.

What makes people want to dive headlong into something like this when it has
been shown repeatedly, very recently, right here, that it does not work??

Rik

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 9:44 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ya don't say!
>
> http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=506199
>
> Brad
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Wed Sep 16 19:00:23 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:00:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] who runs/owns USPS?
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909150910h2bedb29dr9af27cca745f558c@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <640940.60316.qm@web111209.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

THanks, Rik..I 'knew' that it wasn't a gov't entity as it had been years befoe, but didn't at the time know the difference..thanks for the link. It doesn' t matter, anyway...this entity has done no better than its previous iteration.
elle

--- On Tue, 9/15/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] who runs/owns USPS?
To: SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 12:10 PM

Elle,

I have no doubt that USPS is gov't owned and run.

>From Wikipedia:

The Postal Reorganization Act signed by President Richard Nixon on August 12, 1970, replaced the cabinet-level Post Office Department with the independent United States Postal Service. The Act took effect on July 1, 1971.


Rik

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:55 AM, elle <ragdollelle at yahoo.com> wrote:


Hi, guys,
I need to know whether the USPS is or is not run by the federal govt. I have searched online but have not been able to find a definitive answer.?
Is it still under gov;'t control but run by private co? Is is completely privatized???

this is the place that would know!elle


      
_______________________________________________

SwiftwaterGazette mailing list

SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com

http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette





-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington



-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

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From ragdollelle at yahoo.com  Wed Sep 16 19:04:48 2009
From: ragdollelle at yahoo.com (elle)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:04:48 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cleaning House
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909141926t2b41dbe9ob1d364e90a4da6dd@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <964615.34966.qm@web111211.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

And NO arrests at the Mall..zero..nada...

elle

--- On Mon, 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cleaning House
To: "Letters to the Editor" <swiftwatergazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com>
Date: Monday, September 14, 2009, 10:26 PM

Here's the first photo - didn't post for some reason.

On 9/14/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> Look at the attached photos.? The first is after the 9/12 Tea Party on
> the Mall.? The second is after the The One's inauguration.? I've
> decided what we really need is a new political party - the GO-P.? Go
> Palin!? Everyone loved Sarah when she was cleaning Republican clocks
> in Alaska, which she did quite well. It won't do any good to replace
> the current House of Crooks if we just replace them with a new bunch
> of crooks.? I'd like to see Sarah & Todd secure their financial future
> with a good selling book and then turn loose the 'Cuda' on the GOP,
> again.? The Dem's are melting on their own.
>
> Brad
>

-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

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From ekroposki at charter.net  Wed Sep 16 20:40:59 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:40:59 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] just another black guy
Message-ID: <CD9A0DB9F8CD4DD097B30290966DA9C4@YOURB88038198E>

Rik,

see:  http://www.hermancain.com/

Ed K
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 21:24:58 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:24:58 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] H-O-L-Y S-H-*-T
Message-ID: <400985d70909161824y7c84ceco912f65def8790504@mail.gmail.com>

The next tape is just out on ACORN from the San Diego office. The
ACORN official propositioned the "reporter", then offered his
expertise in getting a dozen or so 13 year-old sex slaves across the
border from Tijuana because "he knew people".  So the Prez said during
the campaign that ACORN would help write policy -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn4ptXu21Y&feature=player_embedded

What policy would that be?  Immigration?

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 21:42:04 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:42:04 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Oldy but Goody
Message-ID: <400985d70909161842r772bfbccu391684d05101464e@mail.gmail.com>

So, NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are worried about "racist" Tea Party
members and whether ACORN is being unfairly attacked.  Here's a blast
from the past -

http://tinyurl.com/q96n2d

Yeah, thank God for smart people to "filter" the news so we peasants
know what's going on in the world.

Brad

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 21:53:57 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:53:57 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] just another black guy
In-Reply-To: <CD9A0DB9F8CD4DD097B30290966DA9C4@YOURB88038198E>
References: <CD9A0DB9F8CD4DD097B30290966DA9C4@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909161853j2c7ee9acn1ae6e60e171a630c@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

I've lately begun listening to Mark Levin at night on my computer. His show
is usually posted to his web site by 8:30 or so each evening.

http://www.marklevinshow.com/home.asp

Click on "audio" on the menu, then pick the date of the broadcast you want
to listen to

I just got his book, Liberty & Tyranny today. I'm only a few pages into it,
so I can't really critique at all. However, if it is much like most things
he talks about on his show, I can't imagine I won't agree with most every
point he makes in it. Amazon has it if you feel it's worth a read

http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Tyranny-Conservative-Mark-Levin/dp/1416562850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253151846&sr=8-1

Thanks for the link. Scanning the lead ins to his articles, it certainly
looks like a worthwhile site. I have added it to my bookmarks. Another one
of those smart black men. There are a few of them out there. :-) I see he's
been to several of the tea parties too. Excellent!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 7:40 PM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>  Rik,
>
> see:  http://www.hermancain.com/
>
> Ed K
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 21:57:35 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:57:35 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] H-O-L-Y S-H-*-T
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909161824y7c84ceco912f65def8790504@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161824y7c84ceco912f65def8790504@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909161857v2da13c29sc045ae122f2f8eb3@mail.gmail.com>

I know, I know .... He could set the menu for meals at Guantanamo. They
could help.

Rik

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> The next tape is just out on ACORN from the San Diego office. The
> ACORN official propositioned the "reporter", then offered his
> expertise in getting a dozen or so 13 year-old sex slaves across the
> border from Tijuana because "he knew people".  So the Prez said during
> the campaign that ACORN would help write policy -
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn4ptXu21Y&feature=player_embedded
>
> What policy would that be?  Immigration?
>
> Brad
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 22:15:12 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:15:12 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Oldy but Goody
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909161842r772bfbccu391684d05101464e@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161842r772bfbccu391684d05101464e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909161915h7352701ftb0e8bbf4553a3ec7@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

This is too long to paste, but worth a read on the poor service the public
is getting from the MSM and has been for years. Fortunately, now, we or at
least many of us have computers. It's a lot tougher to keep the wool over
our eyes now.

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws

Rik

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:42 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> So, NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are worried about "racist" Tea Party
> members and whether ACORN is being unfairly attacked.  Here's a blast
> from the past -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/q96n2d
>
> Yeah, thank God for smart people to "filter" the news so we peasants
> know what's going on in the world.
>
> Brad
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 22:24:01 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:24:01 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] just another black guy
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909161853j2c7ee9acn1ae6e60e171a630c@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CD9A0DB9F8CD4DD097B30290966DA9C4@YOURB88038198E>
	<6634e19e0909161853j2c7ee9acn1ae6e60e171a630c@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909161924m1162008aw7dbe380e97ab14c6@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

You'll love "Liberty & Tyranny".  Levin is the smartest guy in talk
radio and the only one I make any effort to listen to (he comes on
Sirrius satellite at 5pm and I'm often in the car during that period).
When you finish Levin's book, read Star Parker's "Uncle Sam's
Plantation" (out a couple of years now).  It drives the left
absolutely nuts when African-Americans like Ms. Parker don't drink the
Kool-Aid. Their standard response is "you only like minorities that
think like you do".  Well duuuuuh. I think Jimmah Carter is an idiot -
does that make me a racist?  Anti-Southern?

Brad

On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ed,
>
> I've lately begun listening to Mark Levin at night on my computer. His show
> is usually posted to his web site by 8:30 or so each evening.
>
> http://www.marklevinshow.com/home.asp
>
> Click on "audio" on the menu, then pick the date of the broadcast you want
> to listen to
>
> I just got his book, Liberty & Tyranny today. I'm only a few pages into it,
> so I can't really critique at all. However, if it is much like most things
> he talks about on his show, I can't imagine I won't agree with most every
> point he makes in it. Amazon has it if you feel it's worth a read
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Tyranny-Conservative-Mark-Levin/dp/1416562850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253151846&sr=8-1
>
> Thanks for the link. Scanning the lead ins to his articles, it certainly
> looks like a worthwhile site. I have added it to my bookmarks. Another one
> of those smart black men. There are a few of them out there. :-) I see he's
> been to several of the tea parties too. Excellent!
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 7:40 PM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>
>>  Rik,
>>
>> see:  http://www.hermancain.com/
>>
>> Ed K
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 22:33:57 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:33:57 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Oldy but Goody
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909161915h7352701ftb0e8bbf4553a3ec7@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161842r772bfbccu391684d05101464e@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909161915h7352701ftb0e8bbf4553a3ec7@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909161933s73df8761j79e7cebdf2e68d2a@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

Read Bernie Goldbergs books, "A Slobbering Love Affair", and "Bias",
and "Arrogance"

http://tinyurl.com/ouoaqt

There's really no excuse for anyone to believe that what they read in
the newspaper or see on "Elite Media" (there's nothing mainstream
about them) is true anymore.  These people gave us this current POTUS
despite a plethora of evidence that he was an inexperienced radical.
Now they're doing everything they can to protect him (and themselves).
 The real story of ACORN is not their misdeeds (though they are pretty
bad) but the complete failure of the press to do their job.  I can't
wait for the day that the New York Times goes bankrupt. It couldn't
happen to a nicer bunch of propagandists.

Brad

On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> This is too long to paste, but worth a read on the poor service the public
> is getting from the MSM and has been for years. Fortunately, now, we or at
> least many of us have computers. It's a lot tougher to keep the wool over
> our eyes now.
>
> http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:42 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> So, NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are worried about "racist" Tea Party
>> members and whether ACORN is being unfairly attacked.  Here's a blast
>> from the past -
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/q96n2d
>>
>> Yeah, thank God for smart people to "filter" the news so we peasants
>> know what's going on in the world.
>>
>> Brad
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 22:48:58 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:48:58 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Oldy but Goody
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909161933s73df8761j79e7cebdf2e68d2a@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161842r772bfbccu391684d05101464e@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909161915h7352701ftb0e8bbf4553a3ec7@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909161933s73df8761j79e7cebdf2e68d2a@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909161948w5bac6e81ya69bfef32cee1de4@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

"but the complete failure of the press to do their job.  I can't
wait for the day that the New York Times goes bankrupt. It couldn't
happen to a nicer bunch of propagandists."

Hear Hear!!!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 9:33 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> Read Bernie Goldbergs books, "A Slobbering Love Affair", and "Bias",
> and "Arrogance"
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ouoaqt
>
> There's really no excuse for anyone to believe that what they read in
> the newspaper or see on "Elite Media" (there's nothing mainstream
> about them) is true anymore.  These people gave us this current POTUS
> despite a plethora of evidence that he was an inexperienced radical.
> Now they're doing everything they can to protect him (and themselves).
>  The real story of ACORN is not their misdeeds (though they are pretty
> bad) but the complete failure of the press to do their job.  I can't
> wait for the day that the New York Times goes bankrupt. It couldn't
> happen to a nicer bunch of propagandists.
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > This is too long to paste, but worth a read on the poor service the
> public
> > is getting from the MSM and has been for years. Fortunately, now, we or
> at
> > least many of us have computers. It's a lot tougher to keep the wool over
> > our eyes now.
> >
> > http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/15/media-malpractice-tom-brokaws
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:42 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> So, NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are worried about "racist" Tea Party
> >> members and whether ACORN is being unfairly attacked.  Here's a blast
> >> from the past -
> >>
> >> http://tinyurl.com/q96n2d
> >>
> >> Yeah, thank God for smart people to "filter" the news so we peasants
> >> know what's going on in the world.
> >>
> >> Brad
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 22:55:34 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:55:34 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] just another black guy
In-Reply-To: <CD9A0DB9F8CD4DD097B30290966DA9C4@YOURB88038198E>
References: <CD9A0DB9F8CD4DD097B30290966DA9C4@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909161955x27659cf9h573c479dc6e64ce6@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Mr. Cain's latest book looks interesting -

http://tinyurl.com/mopgea

I'll add it to the que. Ironically, it was written in 2005 just before
the GOP got its clock cleaned in the next two elections.  It wouldn't
bother me a bit if a third party started from the Tea Party movement,
but first, we have to get this usurper of the American Dream out of
the White House, even if that means supporting a strong candidate from
his own party.  A third party isn't a viable option at the moment.  If
someone can clean house (maybe Sarah?), Mr. Cain's vision can perhaps
become a reality.

BTW, I just saw Michael Steele on TV addressing the 'racist' issue.  I
supported Steele during his run for office but wondered immediately
after he took over if he was the best man for the job (you supported
someone from your area as I recall).  While Steele stumbled early, he
seems to be growing into the job.  I'm willing to give him a few
months before passing judgment.

Brad


On 9/16/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> Rik,
>
> see:  http://www.hermancain.com/
>
> Ed K

From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 23:11:18 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:11:18 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] H-O-L-Y S-H-*-T
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909161857v2da13c29sc045ae122f2f8eb3@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161824y7c84ceco912f65def8790504@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909161857v2da13c29sc045ae122f2f8eb3@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909162011q6ff9dd2dw234a67184cc262a6@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

The film clip just hit YouTube -

http://tinyurl.com/o86d4o

They have more.  Remember, they were not asked to leave a SINGLE ACORN
OFFICE! They plan to sit on their other videos until the nation has
some time to digest all this.

Even Jon Stewart can't stomach what's happening -

http://tinyurl.com/mggb68

I'm not a sadist, but this watching big news media die right in front
of your eyes is kinda fun!

Brad


On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I know, I know .... He could set the menu for meals at Guantanamo. They
> could help.
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The next tape is just out on ACORN from the San Diego office. The
>> ACORN official propositioned the "reporter", then offered his
>> expertise in getting a dozen or so 13 year-old sex slaves across the
>> border from Tijuana because "he knew people".  So the Prez said during
>> the campaign that ACORN would help write policy -
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn4ptXu21Y&feature=player_embedded
>>
>> What policy would that be?  Immigration?
>>
>> Brad
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 23:38:03 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:38:03 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] H-O-L-Y S-H-*-T
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909162011q6ff9dd2dw234a67184cc262a6@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161824y7c84ceco912f65def8790504@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909161857v2da13c29sc045ae122f2f8eb3@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909162011q6ff9dd2dw234a67184cc262a6@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909162038w4e530a40sa0f7fb2461324807@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

So, Jon Stewart isn't completely left handed ..... cool. That was a hoot!

But, the real question .....

Can the teflon man slide out from under the weight of this one like he has
with all the other radicals or radical groups he has associated himself with
over the years, as he throws yet one more under the bus.

There's some pretty serious charges here .... and really fresh ones!!

Hmmm, funny they didn't go to the Chicago office .....

Rik

On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 10:11 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rik,
>
> The film clip just hit YouTube -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/o86d4o
>
> They have more.  Remember, they were not asked to leave a SINGLE ACORN
> OFFICE! They plan to sit on their other videos until the nation has
> some time to digest all this.
>
> Even Jon Stewart can't stomach what's happening -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/mggb68
>
> I'm not a sadist, but this watching big news media die right in front
> of your eyes is kinda fun!
>
> Brad
>
>
> On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I know, I know .... He could set the menu for meals at Guantanamo. They
> > could help.
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> The next tape is just out on ACORN from the San Diego office. The
> >> ACORN official propositioned the "reporter", then offered his
> >> expertise in getting a dozen or so 13 year-old sex slaves across the
> >> border from Tijuana because "he knew people".  So the Prez said during
> >> the campaign that ACORN would help write policy -
> >>
> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn4ptXu21Y&feature=player_embedded
> >>
> >> What policy would that be?  Immigration?
> >>
> >> Brad
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 16 23:56:55 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:56:55 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] H-O-L-Y S-H-*-T
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909162038w4e530a40sa0f7fb2461324807@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909161824y7c84ceco912f65def8790504@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909161857v2da13c29sc045ae122f2f8eb3@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909162011q6ff9dd2dw234a67184cc262a6@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909162038w4e530a40sa0f7fb2461324807@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909162056n444bc258kae9c3c60789d8f1c@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

To answer your last question first, we don't know that they didn't go
to the Chicago office.  These kids have been holding their cards
pretty close to their chest, and every time ACORN says something like,
"they were thrown out of the New York office", BOOM, out comes a tape
from New York. "They were thrown out of the California offices", and
BOOM, out comes two tapes from California. The New York Times quietly
dropped the NYC office from their reporting after the Times got
embarrassed for saying that office wasn't involved.  I'm betting the
"kids" saved the best for last.

Nothing will change the minds of the seriously deranged Obamabots but
they're maybe 20%, max. Most sane and rationale Dems will slowly start
distancing themselves away from this train wreck. The independents are
figuring out they've been "bamboozled" by the "elite media" (I refuse
to use the term MSM anymore, as Bernie Goldberg says, there's nothing
mainstream about them). To answer your question, The One is safe until
at least 2011, UNLESS, some Chicago Boyz start talking.  We just had
one die from an "aspirin" overdose.  Rezko is still talking and
working on a deal.  Blago has really been acting cocky like he's got a
fix in the works.  No, I don't think he can hide all the skeletons
forever but he can sure do some damage until then.  Sure wish we had
that 787 Billion dollars back but for the 23 Billion for
infrastructure.  At least ACORN won't be getting their 8 Billion.
How's that for priorities?

Brad

On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> So, Jon Stewart isn't completely left handed ..... cool. That was a hoot!
>
> But, the real question .....
>
> Can the teflon man slide out from under the weight of this one like he has
> with all the other radicals or radical groups he has associated himself with
> over the years, as he throws yet one more under the bus.
>
> There's some pretty serious charges here .... and really fresh ones!!
>
> Hmmm, funny they didn't go to the Chicago office .....
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 10:11 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Rik,
>>
>> The film clip just hit YouTube -
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/o86d4o
>>
>> They have more.  Remember, they were not asked to leave a SINGLE ACORN
>> OFFICE! They plan to sit on their other videos until the nation has
>> some time to digest all this.
>>
>> Even Jon Stewart can't stomach what's happening -
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/mggb68
>>
>> I'm not a sadist, but this watching big news media die right in front
>> of your eyes is kinda fun!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>> On 9/16/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > I know, I know .... He could set the menu for meals at Guantanamo. They
>> > could help.
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 8:24 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> The next tape is just out on ACORN from the San Diego office. The
>> >> ACORN official propositioned the "reporter", then offered his
>> >> expertise in getting a dozen or so 13 year-old sex slaves across the
>> >> border from Tijuana because "he knew people".  So the Prez said during
>> >> the campaign that ACORN would help write policy -
>> >>
>> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn4ptXu21Y&feature=player_embedded
>> >>
>> >> What policy would that be?  Immigration?
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 07:53:04 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:53:04 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Steele
Message-ID: <A0B26F05E8914F59A7032D7236EB2BAF@YOURB88038198E>

"While Steele stumbled early, he seems to be growing into the job.  I'm willing to give him a few months before passing judgment."

I suspect that only reason that they are asking his opinion is that he is black.

Yes, I supported Dawson Katon from a small town near Columbia, SC.  Katon has unique organizational skills.  He did a great job of putting together diverse groups into a political party.  

Katon will be heard from again, but not necessarily in the political realm.  He has an auto parts business and is back to making a living the old fashion way, one sale at a time.  His abilities were exposed for all to see and I am betting several executive jobs will be offered over time.  

Katon is in his early 30's, married with a couple of kids.  I think that he is really comfortable running his own business and fishing and hunting on weekends.

While not a gifted orator, presents himself well on stage and in the spotlight.  He had a gift at making a large group organized and effective.  He started meetings on time and his choice for parliamentarian insured he completed the agenda and on time.

Ed K





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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 07:53:04 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:53:04 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Steele
Message-ID: <B170918F0C5E471382C5A0CB8530DA27@YOURB88038198E>

"While Steele stumbled early, he seems to be growing into the job.  I'm willing to give him a few months before passing judgment."

I suspect that only reason that they are asking his opinion is that he is black.

Yes, I supported Dawson Katon from a small town near Columbia, SC.  Katon has unique organizational skills.  He did a great job of putting together diverse groups into a political party.  

Katon will be heard from again, but not necessarily in the political realm.  He has an auto parts business and is back to making a living the old fashion way, one sale at a time.  His abilities were exposed for all to see and I am betting several executive jobs will be offered over time.  

Katon is in his early 30's, married with a couple of kids.  I think that he is really comfortable running his own business and fishing and hunting on weekends.

While not a gifted orator, presents himself well on stage and in the spotlight.  He had a gift at making a large group organized and effective.  He started meetings on time and his choice for parliamentarian insured he completed the agenda and on time.

Ed K





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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 07:53:41 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:53:41 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] More to make Rik grumble...
Message-ID: <C79BE0EB6CF34B8C84352B9C3A67652D@YOURB88038198E>

    " * They plotted and planned an act of evil, unlawful, treacherous fraud in a blind quest for unbridled political power, and they hoped that you would never catch it. They almost got away with it too. * "

 (The cited forms may be viewed by going to the linked site.)

 http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/14583

 The Mistake, The Evidence, Obama is NOT a constitutional president

The Theory is Now a Conspiracy And Facts Don't Lie
       
     
       
     
       
     
       
     

     

     

     
 By JB Williams  Thursday, September 10, 2009 

Though we live in an era when all undesirable facts are often blindly labeled "conspiracy theories" by political operatives with an agenda at risk, a very real conspiracy unfolds every now and then. 

While it is indeed true that not all theories are actual conspiracies, like when Hillary Clinton developed an imaginary "right-wing conspiracy" out to get her husband, when in fact, the semen stained dress provided all the necessary (but unfriendly) facts and a perfectly logical explanation for all of those nasty rumors - it is also true that some conspiracies are much more than just crackpot theory. 

To be a bonafide conspiracy, two or more individuals must knowingly conspire, plot or plan an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious act. In politics or law, an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act, is a "conspiracy." Not in theory, but in reality.

Such is the case today!

A political national committee, the Chair of the Party convention, the Secretary of the Party, Party offices in each of fifty states, and maybe many - many more, have knowingly and wantonly defrauded the American election system and more than 300 million American citizens. 

They plotted and planned an act of evil, unlawful, treacherous fraud in a blind quest for unbridled political power, and they hoped that you would never catch it. They almost got away with it too.

They snuck it past fifty state election commissions, congress, the US Supreme Court and Justice Department, the Federal Elections Commission and countless members of the Electoral College nationwide. Not a single member of the, as Limbaugh says, "drive-by media" caught it either, or if they did, they decided to become complicit for their own political reasons.

But as is always the case with liars, cheats and thieves, they slip up - make a silly mistake - overplay their hand - leave evidence lying around that they had forgotten about. And as with all chronic liars, they eventually get caught in their own web of lies.

Then, one day, someone stumbles into that evidence, and the house of cards comes crashing down around them. It's almost poetic.

The Mistake
Aware of the fact that Barack Hussein Obama does NOT meet Article II - Section I constitutional requirements for the office of President, what well-seasoned professional politician would be stupid enough to sign their name and stake their personal career upon certifying Obama as eligible?

Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are nominated at their respective Party Conventions. 

Believe it or not, each Party is assigned the duty of vetting and certifying the legal eligibility of their own candidates. I know, like asking the fox to guard the henhouse, right. But hey, we are talking about a country which still thinks there is a separation of powers between the High Court and the Executive branch, which seats that court by way of political appointment, confirmed by congress, which wants a piece of the judge and expects a few political favors too.

The Evidence
In this case, the Democrat Party was responsible for vetting and certifying Barack Hussein Obama as legally eligible to seek the Oval Office. The U.S. Constitution has only three very specific requirements for the job. The proper legal text used on the DNC Party "Official Certification of Nomination" document reads as follows, and I quote;

  "THIS IS TO CERTIFY that at the National Convention of the Democrat Party of the United States of America, held in Denver, Colorado on August 25 though 28, 2008, the following were duly nominated as candidates of said Party for President and Vice President of the United States respectively and that the following candidates for President and Vice President of the United States are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution."



Click to enlarge

Yes, I know.. there is a typo in there. Not my typo, it belongs to whoever prepared the official document at the DNC. Did you catch it?

The document is signed by Chair of the DNC Convention and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, DNC Secretary Alice Travis Germond and Colorado Notary of Public Shalifa A. Williamson. It is dated August 28, 2008.

However, this document was never delivered to a single state DNC Office for state certification, and it was therefore, never presented to any state Election Commission as certification of these candidates, although I do have a copy of this notarized document myself.

Instead, a very similar document was delivered to fifty state DNC offices, which those offices certified to each of fifty state Election Commissions, who then date-stamped the document and stuck it in a file cabinet, and proceeded to place these "certified" candidates on the ballot.

The "Official Certification of Nomination" that was presented by the DNC in all fifty states for the 2008 Presidential election, in which Barack Hussein Obama became the new President of the United States, was almost identical, and it too was signed by Chair of the DNC Convention and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, DNC Secretary Alice Travis Germond and Notary of Public Shalifa A. Williamson, dated August 28, 2008.

But this version of the document was missing the following text, and I quote;

  "- and that the following candidates for President and Vice President of the United States are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution."

The legal certification text on the DNC certified nomination document used for the DNC ticket was limited to, and I quote;

  "THIS IS TO CERTIFY that at the National Convention of the Democrat Party of the United States of America, held in Denver, Colorado on August 25 though 28, 2008, the following were duly nominated as candidates of said Party for President and Vice President of the United States respectively:


Click to enlarge

Oops, another typo? The reference to Obama's constitutional eligibility was missing. An accidental omission?

The text certifying that Barack Hussein Obama was "legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution" had been removed from the document sent to the states. And yes, I have a copy of this version of the DNC Official Certification of Nomination letter too!

In fact, this version is in Election Commission files of all fifty state Election Commission offices, state DNC headquarters, complete with date stamps, matching signatures, even the same Notary of Public authentication, and absent the constitutional text. 

Just in case you are wondering, the answer is yes. This version also includes the same typo present in the version not submitted by the DNC, but including the constitutional text, which means both documents have the same place of origin.

The individual at DNC headquarters who prepared this very important document was not only a poor typist. they were sloppy enough to leave both versions of the signed documents lying around.

Now this is the stuff real conspiracies are made of!

The Implications
Please, allow me to connect the dots here.

  a.. The DNC drafted, signed and notarized TWO slightly different versions of their Official Certification of Nomination documents, not one. 
  b.. One of those documents had complete legal language, and one of them was missing the text concerning the constitutional eligibility of Barack Hussein Obama. 
  c.. The version which is absent any certification of constitutional standing for the office of President is the version that was filed with every state in the country, and the one used by the DNC to elect Barack Obama President. 
Oh, there is one more important document in this story.

The RNC "Official Certification of Nomination" for John McCain and Sarah Palin reads, and I quote: 

  "We do hereby certify that a national convention of Delegates representing the Republican Party of the United States, duly held and convened in the city of Saint Paul, State of Minnesota, on September 4, 2008, the following person, meeting the constitutional requirements for the Office of President of the United States, and the following person, meeting the constitutional requirements for the Office of Vice President of the Unites States, were nominated for such offices to be filled at the ensuing general election, November 4, 2008, viz;"


Click to enlarge

The certification of constitutional eligibility is there in the RNC Certification of Nomination presented to the state Election Commissions. It's there in the document which the DNC had prepared, signed and notarized, but did NOT deliver to the states. 

But it is NOT there in the DNC Certification of Nomination that the DNC used to certify and elect Barack Hussein Obama President and Joseph Biden Vice President of the United States of America.

Last, the fact that TWO DNC Certifications exist, both signed, dated and notarized by the same individuals on the same day, means that a very real conspiracy to commit election fraud was underway, and since it took until six months after the election to uncover it, the conspiracy was indeed successful.

Are you still wondering why Barack Obama has spent nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer's funds to race Department of Justice lawyers around the country to stop all cases questioning Obama's eligibility before discovery can force Obama to open up his top secret life?

Now I realize that leftists, I mean liberals, no "progressives" - don't like getting all bogged down in minutia and nit-picky details like the Constitution, but this is actually very serious business here. We are talking about the top-down leadership of the ruling political Party knowingly and wantonly defrauding voters by way of playing monkey business with fraudulent election documents.

As Al Gore once said, the debate is OVER!

There is no honest debate on the matter anymore. Obama is NOT a constitutional president, which is to say, we do NOT have a constitutional federal administration at present and every anti-American policy of the last six months is also, BINGO! - Unconstitutional!

What is still in question however - does any court in America have the backbone to do what must be done? - And what do the American people do, if not one court in the nation has that kind of constitutional backbone today?

Obama's DOJ has thus far been successful in blocking the people's access to the courts by claiming that no American citizen, including another presidential candidate, has "proper standing" to demand proof of Obama's constitutional eligibility for the office he fraudulently holds.

To be very clear, the RNC nomination form filed with the states certifies that John McCain met all constitutional requirements for the Office of President. But the DNC nomination form filed with the states is absent any such language.

I know what I conclude from these facts, but what do you conclude from these facts?

More importantly, what will a court of law conclude? Will they ever even agree to hear the evidence?




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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 08:02:56 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:02:56 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] CIA comentary
Message-ID: <E1595A1848304C898F070CD4F4C05585@YOURB88038198E>

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_holder_war_with_cia/2009/08/31/254698.html

       CIA Counterterrorism Expert: Obama and Holder 'At War' with Agency

             
           

     
       

            Monday, August 31, 2009 7:59 PM

            By: Kent Clizbe 
           Article Font20Size  
           

      
     
       

      In the early days and weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, a small cadre of men (and a few women) with vast amounts of intelligence experience reported to the Langley , Va. , headquarters of the CIA. These unsung heroes then were dispatched across the globe to run operations against the al-Qaida conspirators who leveled the World Trade Center and struck the nerve center of the U.S. military. 

       

      The FBI, a domestic law enforcement agency, did not have the ability or skills need ed to track down and strike the attackers overseas. The Pentagon, with F22s, nuclear aircraft carriers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and battalions of the best armor in the history of mankind, was like an elephant attacked by a mouse - mighty, but helpless in its mammoth rage. 

       

      Our best hope was in the hands of the gray-bearded intelligence professionals who fanned out across the world. Supplementing the skeleton crew of staff officers left in the wake of President Clinton's anti-intelligence scourging of the CIA, the volunteers went to the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, to the most remote and isolated outposts in the world. Sometimes they worked with friendly forces, and sometimes they worked alone. They focused like a laser beam on one thing: Stop the next attack. 

      Their mission: Seek and destroy the terrorist planners, facilitators, trainers, financiers, and their infrastructure wherever they were. 

       

      Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, CIA officers, both the contractors and the overextended staff officers, launched dozens of initiatives. The CIA Counterterrorism Center 's motto, "Deny, Disrupt, Destroy," became the reason for our living. We left our families for months on end and sacrificed personal and professional lives to fight the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Google "Jihadists in Paradise ," for an unauthorized account of one of my contributions (I have been advised that I can neither confirm nor deny). 

      As I did my part in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa , my family tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy at home. My son was in eighth grade in September 2001. I did not see him graduate the next summer. I was home less than six months for each of the first three of his high school years. 

       

      Even with my nightly phone calls, his attitude and grades plummeted in my absence. He went from a happy, engaged, charming 13-year-old with straight A's and a focus on the future to a sullen, uncommunicative, high school flunky. I put my successful and lucrative executive recruiting business on hold for eight years. Finally, after five years of constant travel, my family sacrifice account was overdrawn. Coming home was an option for me, and I took it. 

      Others did not take that option, and they sacrificed the quality of their marriages, participation in their children's and grandchildren's lives, the profitability of their businesses, and more.. Personal and professional issues festered and rotted while they fought to keep America safe and prevented further attacks on our homeland. 

      In contrast, where was Eric Holder? Before leaving President Clinton's employ, he orchestrated the pardons of several Puerto Rican separatist terrorists. Then in 2003, as a partner in the Washington law firm of Covington & Burling, Holder's client, Chiquita Brands, admitted paying to support terrorist death squads in Colombia and paid a $25 million fine. During the time my friends worked to disrupt and destroy terrorist networks threatening America , Holder's firm represented - for free - 16 terrorist detainees at Guantanamo . 

      Has he made any personal or professional sacrifices since his country was attacked in 2001? If he has, it is difficult to find them. When the special prosecutor comes calling, maybe someone from Covington & Burling can represent my colleagues for free, like they did for Lakhdar Boumedienne and 10 other terrorists in Gitmo. 

       

      The Holder/Obama Global War on the CIA (GWCIA) has only just begun, as it debuted with "grisly revelations" of revving drills, gunshots in the next cell, and threats against a terrorist's children. The GWOT is not for the faint of heart, nor the queasy. No war ever has been. There may be slight improprieties stashed in the CIA's closets, but the liberal-appeasing GWCIA is foolhardy and dangerous. 

       

      Mike Spann, was the first to die in the GWOT. He won't have to worry about the Holder/Obama GWCIA. But others in the agency are very worried. While we sacrificed to achieve incremental victories, Holder and Obama plotted and schemed - not against those "evil-mongers" who killed our countrymen, but against those of us hunting the terrorists. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark . The odor is not from Langley, Mr. Holder. 

       

      Kent Clizbe is a former member of the CIA's Directorate of Operations.  In 2001, in the aftermath of Sept. 11, he returned to the CIA to serve multiple counter-terrorism deployments. In 2005, he was awarded the Intelligence Community Seal Medallion for his anti-terrorism work. 

      ? 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
      
     
       
     
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 08:40:29 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:40:29 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] That guy from Anderson, SC
Message-ID: <111E9D7E286740F3A6E377C44B407511@YOURB88038198E>

Think of the money that can be saved by not buying the trailer! 


http://www.toughboats.com/video.cfm?fullscreen=1&filename=Toughboats_BubbaCRevLegal

ek

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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 08:44:49 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:44:49 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Safe School Czar
Message-ID: <400985d70909170544v3b364f0dx2d6adc01ec95a3c4@mail.gmail.com>

Who isn't for safe schools?  I'm not quite sure why we need a Czar at
the federal level, but we have one.  His name is Kevin Jennings and
his official title is Asst. Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe & Drug
Free Schools at Department of Education.  Mr. Jennings is openly gay.
Nothing wrong with that, so is Dick Cheney's daughter and like the
Cheney family, most Americans are tolerant people.  Jennings is also
the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network -
glsen.org.  GLSEN has been involved in some pretty controversial
incidents, including FISTGATE in Massachusetts (sorry folks, you'll
have to do your own homework on that one, just Google "fistgate").
Jennings also wrote the forward to "Queering Elementary Education", a
book that boasts one Bill Ayers on the back cover praising its
contents (funny how his name keeps popping up in Obama's education
circles).  Since these Czars aren't accountable to anyone but the
President, we don't know how much money is being diverted to Mr.
Jenning's or the GLSEN agenda.  One thing is for certain, after
FISTGATE, we know they have one.

Here's a novel idea, how about we abolish the Department of Education
and let local school boards and the States run things.  That set-up
worked pretty well for over a hundred years.

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 09:13:34 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:13:34 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Safe School Czar
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909170544v3b364f0dx2d6adc01ec95a3c4@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909170544v3b364f0dx2d6adc01ec95a3c4@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909170613l7339e6c1j57e404472673cefe@mail.gmail.com>

Just a quick follow-up before I go off to do more productive things -
posted below is an article from around the time of FISTGATE.  Two
parents opposed the State of Massachusetts funding of teaching gay and
lesbian sexual techniques to students as young as 14 years old and
were legally harassed for their objections. Let's look at this from
another angle, shall we?  Suppose another group, lets call them the
heterosexual intercourse thrust movement, HIT for short, held a state
funded conference for heterosexual students that included graphic
instructions and discussions on how to "do it".  I'm sure a lot of
parents would be upset.  But there is no such group as HIT and if
there were, they wouldn't have any "special rights".  The whole point
of my bringing this up is this; don't schools exist primarily to
educate students in basic subjects and isn't sex and moral values
primarily the responsibility of the parents?

Brad

---------------

Banned in Boston
Better not complain about the gay agenda for Massachusetts schools
by ROD DREHER
07/03/2000, Volume 005, Issue 40




Boston

YOU ARE BY NOW AWARE of the war gay activists are waging on radio talk
show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, whose opposition to homosexuality
has made her Public Enemy No. 1 of the lavender lobby. Few outside of
Massachusetts, however, have heard of Brian Camenker and Scott
Whiteman, two suburban fathers who are enduring public vilification,
potential financial ruin, and possible jail time for protesting the
gay agenda in the state's public schools.

Dr. Laura's struggle to get her syndicated television show on the air
is of great symbolic importance. But the situation in which Camenker
and Whiteman find themselves embroiled is far more significant to
average people. Countless parents, after all, could face the onslaught
now directed against the Massachusetts dads if they, too, were to
raise their voices against public school officials' collusion with gay
activists to mainstream homosexuality in the classroom.

Camenker and Whiteman, who live in the Boston suburbs, head a Bay
State grass-roots organization called the Parents' Rights Coalition.
For years, the PRC has been complaining to Massachusetts officials
that radical homosexuals are introducing grossly objectionable
material to children and seeking to undermine parental authority over
the moral instruction of their kids. Time and time again, members of
the Parents' Rights Coalition took evidence backing their concerns to
school and state officials, to no avail, they say.

Indeed, Paul Cellucci, the state's Republican governor, has continued
to budget $ 1.5 million for the Governor's Commission for Gay and
Lesbian Youth. The commission oversees the creation and support of
"Gay/Straight Alliances" -- student clubs organized around gay issues.

Furthermore, Whiteman was called a "slanderer" by a member of the
Board of Education, he says. "I knew I wasn't lying. I knew I wasn't
making it up. I knew I wasn't an alarmist."

Frustrated by official indifference, Whiteman secretly took his tape
recorder along to the 10th annual conference of the Boston chapter of
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, at Tufts
University on March 25. GLSEN (pronounced "glisten") is a national
organization whose purpose is to train teachers and students and
develop programs to, in the words of its Boston chapter leader,
"challenge the anti-gay, hetero-centric culture that still prevails in
our schools."

The state-sanctioned conference, which was open to the public but
attended chiefly by students, administrators, and teachers, undercut
the official GLSEN line -- that their work is aimed only at making
schools safer by teaching tolerance and respect.

The event, backed by the state's largest teachers' union, included
such workshops as "Ask the Transsexuals," "Early Childhood Educators:
How to Decide Whether to Come Out at Work or Not," "The Struggles and
Triumphs of Including Homosexuality in a Middle School Curriculum"
(with suggestions for including gay issues when teaching the
Holocaust), "From Lesbos to Stonewall: Incorporating Sexuality into a
World History Curriculum," and "Creating a Safe and Inclusive
Community in Elementary Schools," in which the "Rationale for
integrating glbt [gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender] issues in
the early elementary years will be presented."

Whiteman sat in on a "youth only, ages 14-21" workshop called "What
They Didn't Tell You About Queer Sex & Sexuality in Health Class." If
"they" didn't tell you about this stuff, it's probably because "they"
worried they'd be sent to jail.

The raucous session was led by Massachusetts Department of Education
employees Margot Abels and Julie Netherland, and Michael Gaucher, an
AIDS educator from the Massachusetts public health agency. Gaucher
opened the session by asking the teens how they know whether or not
they've had sex. Someone asked whether oral sex was really sex.

"If that's not sex, then the number of times I've had sex has
dramatically decreased, from a mountain to a valley, baby!" squealed
Gaucher. He then coaxed a reluctant young participant to talk about
which orifices need to be filled for sex to have occurred: "Don't be
shy, honey, you can do it."

Later, the three adults took written questions from the kids. One
inquired about "fisting," a sex practice in which one inserts his hand
and forearm into the rectum of his partner. The helpful and
enthusiastic Gaucher demonstrated the proper hand position for this
act. Abels described fisting as "an experience of letting somebody
into your body that you want to be that close and intimate with," and
praised it for putting one "into an exploratory mode."

Gaucher urged the teens to consult their "really hip" Gay/Straight
Alliance adviser for hints on how to come on to a potential sex
partner. The trio went on to explain that lesbians could indeed
experience sexual bliss through rubbing their clitorises together, and
Gaucher told the kids that male ejaculate is rumored to taste "sweeter
if people eat celery." On and on like this the session went.

Camenker and Whiteman transcribed the tape and wrote a lengthy report
for Massachusetts News, a conservative monthly. Then they announced
that copies of the recorded sessions would be made available to state
legislators and the local media. GLSEN threatened to sue them for
violating Massachusetts' wiretap laws and invading the privacy of the
minors present at one workshop.

The tapes went out anyway and became a talk radio sensation. On May
19, state education chief David Driscoll canned Abels and Netherland
and terminated Gaucher's contract. But Driscoll also insisted that the
controversial workshop was an aberration that shouldn't be allowed to
derail the entire program. Abels fumed to the press that the education
department had known perfectly well what she had been doing for years
and hadn't cared until the tapes had surfaced. Camenker, ironically,
agreed.

That same weekend, a day after the Boston Globe editorial page
editorialized against Camenker and Whiteman, thousands of New England
homosexual youths marched on the Massachusetts State House in a
scheduled "pride" rally. David LaFontaine, chairman of the Governor's
Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, denounced Camenker and Whiteman:
"The hatred we've heard on the radio and smeared across the TV in the
last week . . . is the prejudice that simmers beneath the surface
[which] has now bubbled up into the open in all of its ugliness."

Then, state Superior Court judge Allan van Gestel issued a gag order
prohibiting the Parents' Rights Coalition, the news media, and the
entire state legislature from disseminating or even discussing the
tapes -- though the conference had been in part sponsored by the
state, and had been conducted by and attended by state employees. One
might think lawmakers and the local media would have been outraged.

Not in Massachusetts. Nary a peep of protest issued from the
legislature, and aside from a Boston Herald editorial denouncing the
move, the news media were as silent as the grave. Harvard law
professor Alan Dershowitz, a gay-rights supporter who is not most
people's idea of a conservative, took to the airwaves to blast the
ruling and the establishment's indifference to it.

"Sometimes civil libertarians become ambivalent when the First
Amendment clashes with their liberal agenda. I've been fighting that
for years," Dershowitz told me. "It's a situation where the political
correctness of the Boston news media has caused it to take a back
seat," says Boston civil liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate. "Of
course, what will happen is, in some other case in which the news
media will have more of an interest, where one of their darlings will
get restrained, then suddenly they will find they've allowed a
precedent to be set. It's perfect example of the news media not
rushing in and protecting [free speech] no matter whose ox is being
gored."

Days later, van Gestel held a hearing to reconsider his gag order.
Says Camenker, "The only news organization that showed up to demand
their First Amendment right to play the tape was the Fox News
Channel." Van Gestel relented somewhat, lifting the gag on everyone
but Camenker and Whiteman.

Meanwhile, a legal aid group called Gay & Lesbian Advocates &
Defenders (GLAD) filed suit against the two men on behalf of the
workshop students. They are still threatening to press criminal
charges.

Silverglate, a gay-rights supporter who calls "a huge mistake"
homosexual activists' habit of labeling "hate speech" any opinion they
don't like, warns that the Bay State's liberal legal culture will make
a fair trial for Camenker and Whiteman a near-impossibility.

"This is the state, remember, that brought you the St. Patrick's Day
Parade case, in which all three layers of the Massachusetts court
system found that the court had the power to force the Irish war
veterans to allow a gay Irish group to march under their own banner."

The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled 9-0 in favor of the war
veterans, who were represented by conservative Boston lawyer Chester
Darling, now serving as Whiteman's attorney.

"Nine to nothing -- that tells you it was an easy case, but you would
never know it from reading the Boston Globe and observing the conduct
of the legal profession," Silverglate says. "This state has some
serious problems."

Though Camenker and Whiteman expect to triumph, if not in
Massachusetts courts then at the federal level, neither man has deep
pockets. Both estimate their defense costs will meet or exceed $
80,000, and money is trickling in to a legal defense fund. Whiteman,
26, is a law student whose wife just gave birth to their first child.
Camenker, 47, owns his own software business, which he says is
suffering.

"I could lose everything," he says. "My business could go down the
tubes. And if this criminal stuff actually goes down, I could go to
jail."

As their story becomes more widely known, the men find themselves
doing more interviews on talk radio around the country.

"The whole idea that [gay activists] have been trying to suppress this
has been helpful. Nobody listened to us beforehand," says Whiteman.
"Everybody thought we were making it up. The fact that they're trying
to cover it up proves that they have something to cover up. We've
caught them red-handed."

But will their expose ultimately make a difference? GLSEN/Boston
boasts the most advanced programs of its kind in the nation. As goes
Massachusetts, in time, so may go the rest of America. Camenker and
Whiteman are on the front lines of a battle likely to spread to school
districts from coast to coast, as the powerful GLSEN organization,
with sponsorship money from American Airlines, Dockers Khakis, and
Kodak, presses its radical agenda under the innocent-sounding guise of
"safety," "human rights," and "suicide prevention."

"That money goes down a rathole to fund gay clubs in schools, and gay
rallies and conferences," fumes Camenker. "None of the people who get
the money are legitimate suicide prevention groups. They're all these
gay groups."

GLSEN will be holding its annual leadership training conference next
month in San Francisco, to be preceded by a two-day workshop teaching
students and educators how to push the gay agenda in local schools --
even at the kindergarten level -- as a human rights issue. Books
available from the GLSEN website include Queering Elementary Education
and Preventing Prejudice, a collection of elementary-school lesson
plans built around themes such as "What Is a Boy/Girl?" and "Freedom
to Marry."

Schools' surreptitiously introducing this material to students, says
Whiteman, "puts kids at risk and puts parents completely out of the
loop with the sexual identities of their children. The schools take
this elitist attitude that they know best."

The point of this activist drive, warns Camenker, is to desensitize
children to gay sex at a very young age and counteract moral
instruction to the contrary given by their parents and religious
leaders. If you protest, he warns, be prepared to be stonewalled and
sneered at by school officials, smeared in the press, and denounced as
a hatemonger and a bigot by gay activists.

Yet what choice is left to parents but to fight? "We're facing an
incredible evil here. It chills you to the bone," says Camenker, an
Orthodox Jew brought closer to his faith by this struggle. "The only
way we're not going to get run over is if people wake up to what's
happening to our children."

"These people are bullies," he continues. "People are afraid of them,
afraid of being called homophobes. I don't enjoy this, but this is
America, and I'm not going to run away."

Rod Dreher is a columnist for the New York Post.

On 9/17/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> Who isn't for safe schools?  I'm not quite sure why we need a Czar at
> the federal level, but we have one.  His name is Kevin Jennings and
> his official title is Asst. Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe & Drug
> Free Schools at Department of Education.  Mr. Jennings is openly gay.
> Nothing wrong with that, so is Dick Cheney's daughter and like the
> Cheney family, most Americans are tolerant people.  Jennings is also
> the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network -
> glsen.org.  GLSEN has been involved in some pretty controversial
> incidents, including FISTGATE in Massachusetts (sorry folks, you'll
> have to do your own homework on that one, just Google "fistgate").
> Jennings also wrote the forward to "Queering Elementary Education", a
> book that boasts one Bill Ayers on the back cover praising its
> contents (funny how his name keeps popping up in Obama's education
> circles).  Since these Czars aren't accountable to anyone but the
> President, we don't know how much money is being diverted to Mr.
> Jenning's or the GLSEN agenda.  One thing is for certain, after
> FISTGATE, we know they have one.
>
> Here's a novel idea, how about we abolish the Department of Education
> and let local school boards and the States run things.  That set-up
> worked pretty well for over a hundred years.
>
> Brad
>

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 09:25:22 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:25:22 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] More to make Rik grumble...
In-Reply-To: <C79BE0EB6CF34B8C84352B9C3A67652D@YOURB88038198E>
References: <C79BE0EB6CF34B8C84352B9C3A67652D@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909170625y1661fd73w638f7dbd8c51779e@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Interesting ..... But, can he/she get anyone to take this seriously??

I have known for a long time better than to believe anything that comes out
of Pelosi's mouth. I am not surprised in the least to find her name involved
in this. She's slippery as it gets. Snot on a door knob slippery!

A real audit of Obama's campaign donations via credit card/web site, in my
mind, would probably prove very enlightening too. Now that we KNOW ACORN's
capacity for underhandedness ( I knew before, but everyone knows now), a
serious audit of their contributions (voters) to that election should
certainly also be in order. Both of these things should have been looked at
a long time ago ... BEFORE the election.

As much as I detest the idea of disrupting the whole country over this, I
believe we need to hear the truth in these matters.

Pretty damning that there are actually two versions of that paper, BOTH
signed and notarized. What purpose, other than to cover somebody's ass,
could that possibly serve??

Rik

Somebody should send that to Levin. Wonder if he's seen it, or knows this
writer.

On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 6:53 AM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>       " * They plotted and planned an act of evil, unlawful, treacherous
> fraud in a blind quest for unbridled political power, and they hoped that
> you would never catch it. They almost got away with it too? * "
>
>  (The cited forms may be viewed by going to the linked site.)
>
>  http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/14583
>
>  *The Mistake, The Evidence, Obama is NOT a constitutional president*
>  *The Theory is Now a Conspiracy And Facts Don?t Lie*
>
>
>
>
>  * *
>
> <http://www.cafepress.com/canadafreepress>
>  * *
>
> <http://www.canadafreepress.com/eesystem/index.php/gallery/>
>
> <http://media.fastclick.net/w/click.here?sid=18589&m=3&c=1>
>
>   <http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/infrastructure>
>
>  *By* *JB Williams*  Thursday, September 10, 2009
>
> Though we live in an era when all undesirable facts are often blindly
> labeled ?conspiracy theories? by political operatives with an agenda at
> risk, a very real conspiracy unfolds every now and then.
>
> While it is indeed true that not all theories are actual conspiracies, like
> when Hillary Clinton developed an imaginary ?right-wing conspiracy? out to
> get her husband, when in fact, the semen stained dress provided all the
> necessary (but unfriendly) facts and a perfectly logical explanation for all
> of those nasty rumors ? it is also true that some conspiracies are much more
> than just crackpot theory.
>
> To be a bonafide conspiracy, two or more individuals must knowingly
> conspire, plot or plan an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious act.
> In politics or law, an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime,
> fraud, or other wrongful act, is a ?conspiracy.? Not in theory, but in
> reality.
>
> Such is the case today!
>
> A political national committee, the Chair of the Party convention, the
> Secretary of the Party, Party offices in each of fifty states, and maybe
> many ? many more, have knowingly and wantonly defrauded the American
> election system and more than 300 million American citizens.
>
> They plotted and planned an act of evil, unlawful, treacherous fraud in a
> blind quest for unbridled political power, and they hoped that you would
> never catch it. They almost got away with it too?
>
> They snuck it past fifty state election commissions, congress, the US
> Supreme Court and Justice Department, the Federal Elections Commission and
> countless members of the Electoral College nationwide. Not a single member
> of the, as Limbaugh says, ?drive-by media? caught it either, or if they did,
> they decided to become complicit for their own political reasons.
>
> But as is always the case with liars, cheats and thieves, they slip up ?
> make a silly mistake ? overplay their hand ? leave evidence lying around
> that they had forgotten about. And as with all chronic liars, they
> eventually get caught in their own web of lies.
>
> Then, one day, someone stumbles into that evidence, and the house of cards
> comes crashing down around them. It?s almost poetic?
> *The Mistake*
>
> Aware of the fact that Barack Hussein Obama does NOT meet Article II ?
> Section I constitutional requirements for the office of President, what
> well-seasoned professional politician would be stupid enough to sign their
> name and stake their personal career upon certifying Obama as eligible?
>
> Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are nominated at their
> respective Party Conventions.
>
> Believe it or not, each Party is assigned the duty of vetting and
> certifying the legal eligibility of their own candidates. I know, like
> asking the fox to guard the henhouse, right. But hey, we are talking about a
> country which still thinks there is a separation of powers between the High
> Court and the Executive branch, which seats that court by way of political
> appointment, confirmed by congress, which wants a piece of the judge and
> expects a few political favors too.
> *The Evidence*
>
> In this case, the Democrat Party was responsible for vetting and certifying
> Barack Hussein Obama as legally eligible to seek the Oval Office. The U.S.
> Constitution has only three very specific requirements for the job. The
> proper legal text used on the DNC Party ?Official Certification of
> Nomination? document reads as follows, and I quote;
>
> ?THIS IS TO CERTIFY that at the National Convention of the Democrat Party
> of the United States of America, held in Denver, Colorado on August 25
> though 28, 2008, the following were duly nominated as candidates of said
> Party for President and Vice President of the United States respectively and
> that the following candidates for President and Vice President of the United
> States are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United
> States Constitution.?
>
>
>
> Click to enlarge<http://www.canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/2008_DNC_Certification_Doc_1.jpg>
>
> Yes, I know?. there is a typo in there. Not my typo, it belongs to whoever
> prepared the official document at the DNC. Did you catch it?
>
> The document is signed by Chair of the DNC Convention and Speaker of the
> House Nancy Pelosi, DNC Secretary Alice Travis Germond and Colorado Notary
> of Public Shalifa A. Williamson. It is dated August 28, 2008.
>
> However, this document was never delivered to a single state DNC Office for
> state certification, and it was therefore, never presented to any state
> Election Commission as certification of these candidates, although I do have
> a copy of this notarized document myself.
>
> Instead, a very similar document was delivered to fifty state DNC offices,
> which those offices certified to each of fifty state Election Commissions,
> who then date-stamped the document and stuck it in a file cabinet, and
> proceeded to place these ?certified? candidates on the ballot.
>
> The ?Official Certification of Nomination? that was presented by the DNC in
> all fifty states for the 2008 Presidential election, in which Barack Hussein
> Obama became the new President of the United States, was almost identical,
> and it too was signed by Chair of the DNC Convention and Speaker of the
> House Nancy Pelosi, DNC Secretary Alice Travis Germond and Notary of Public
> Shalifa A. Williamson, dated August 28, 2008.
>
> But this version of the document was missing the following text, and I
> quote;
>
> ?- and that the following candidates for President and Vice President of
> the United States are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the
> United States Constitution.?
>
> The legal certification text on the DNC certified nomination document used
> for the DNC ticket was limited to, and I quote;
>
> ?THIS IS TO CERTIFY that at the National Convention of the Democrat Party
> of the United States of America, held in Denver, Colorado on August 25
> though 28, 2008, the following were duly nominated as candidates of said
> Party for President and Vice President of the United States respectively:
>
>
> Click to enlarge<http://www.canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/2008_DNC_Certification_Doc_2.jpg>
>
> Oops, another typo? The reference to Obama?s constitutional eligibility was
> missing? An accidental omission?
>
> The text certifying that Barack Hussein Obama was ?*legally qualified to
> serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution*? had been
> removed from the document sent to the states. And yes, I have a copy of this
> version of the DNC Official Certification of Nomination letter too!
>
> In fact, this version is in Election Commission files of all fifty state
> Election Commission offices, state DNC headquarters, complete with date
> stamps, matching signatures, even the same Notary of Public authentication,
> and absent the constitutional text.
>
> Just in case you are wondering, the answer is yes. This version also
> includes the same typo present in the version not submitted by the DNC, but
> including the constitutional text, which means both documents have the same
> place of origin.
>
> The individual at DNC headquarters who prepared this very important
> document was not only a poor typist? they were sloppy enough to leave both
> versions of the signed documents lying around.
>
> Now this is the stuff real conspiracies are made of!
> *The Implications*
>
> Please, allow me to connect the dots here?
>
>    - The DNC drafted, signed and notarized TWO slightly different versions
>    of their Official Certification of Nomination documents, not one.
>    - One of those documents had complete legal language, and one of them
>    was missing the text concerning the constitutional eligibility of Barack
>    Hussein Obama.
>    - The version which is absent any certification of constitutional
>    standing for the office of President is the version that was filed with
>    every state in the country, and the one used by the DNC to elect Barack
>    Obama President.
>
> Oh, there is one more important document in this story.
>
> The RNC ?Official Certification of Nomination? for John McCain and Sarah
> Palin reads, and I quote:
>
> ?We do hereby certify that a national convention of Delegates representing
> the Republican Party of the United States, duly held and convened in the
> city of Saint Paul, State of Minnesota, on September 4, 2008, the following
> person, meeting the constitutional requirements for the Office of President
> of the United States, and the following person, meeting the constitutional
> requirements for the Office of Vice President of the Unites States, were
> nominated for such offices to be filled at the ensuing general election,
> November 4, 2008, viz;?
>
>
> Click to enlarge<http://www.canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/2008_RNC_Nomination_Doc.jpg>
>
> The certification of constitutional eligibility is there in the RNC
> Certification of Nomination presented to the state Election Commissions.
> It?s there in the document which the DNC had prepared, signed and notarized,
> but did NOT deliver to the states.
>
> But it is NOT there in the DNC Certification of Nomination that the DNC
> used to certify and elect Barack Hussein Obama President and Joseph Biden
> Vice President of the United States of America.
>
> Last, the fact that TWO DNC Certifications exist, both signed, dated and
> notarized by the same individuals on the same day, means that a very real
> conspiracy to commit election fraud was underway, and since it took until
> six months after the election to uncover it, the conspiracy was indeed
> successful.
>
> Are you still wondering why Barack Obama has spent nearly $1.5 million in
> taxpayer?s funds to race Department of Justice lawyers around the country to
> stop all cases questioning Obama?s eligibility before discovery can force
> Obama to open up his top secret life?
>
> Now I realize that leftists, I mean liberals, no ?progressives? ? don?t
> like getting all bogged down in minutia and nit-picky details like the
> Constitution, but this is actually very serious business here. We are
> talking about the top-down leadership of the ruling political Party
> knowingly and wantonly defrauding voters by way of playing monkey business
> with fraudulent election documents.
>
> As Al Gore once said, the debate is OVER!
>
> There is no honest debate on the matter anymore. Obama is NOT a
> constitutional president, which is to say, we do NOT have a constitutional
> federal administration at present and every anti-American policy of the last
> six months is also, BINGO! ? Unconstitutional!
>
> What is still in question however ? does any court in America have the
> backbone to do what must be done? ? And what do the American people do, if
> not one court in the nation has that kind of constitutional backbone today?
>
> Obama?s DOJ has thus far been successful in blocking the people?s access to
> the courts by claiming that no American citizen, including another
> presidential candidate, has ?proper standing? to demand proof of Obama?s
> constitutional eligibility for the office he fraudulently holds.
>
> To be very clear, the RNC nomination form filed with the states certifies
> that John McCain met all constitutional requirements for the Office of
> President. But the DNC nomination form filed with the states is absent any
> such language.
>
> I know what I conclude from these facts, but what do you conclude from
> these facts?
>
> More importantly, what will a court of law conclude? Will they ever even
> agree to hear the evidence?
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 09:40:19 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:40:19 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Steele
In-Reply-To: <B170918F0C5E471382C5A0CB8530DA27@YOURB88038198E>
References: <B170918F0C5E471382C5A0CB8530DA27@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909170640k1ebe8ef7k95fe19274790dc82@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Steele weighs in (below).

Brad

--------------

 It's not racism, it's being an American
By: Michael Steele
September 17, 2009 05:21 AM EST

Charges of racism are among the most serious that can be made in
America because of our nation?s history on race relations. There is no
doubt America has come a long way in healing past wounds, but there is
certainly more to be done. That is why I am outraged that Democrats
today, including former president Jimmy Carter, are injecting race
into the debate over President Obama?s policies.

Voicing opposition to the president?s policy proposals is not being a
racist. It is being an American. Such assertions by leaders of the
Democratic Party are a pathetic attempt to shift attention away from
the president?s wildly unpopular government-run health care plan that
the American people simply oppose. Injecting race into the debate over
critical issues facing American families does not create jobs, reform
our health care system or reduce the growing deficit. It only divides
Americans rather than uniting us to find solutions to challenges
facing our nation.

This summer, Americans had an opportunity to witness the miracle of
our political system. All over the country ordinary American men and
women, concerned about the Democrats? policies coming out of
Washington, took a stand and expressed their opposition. It was
grassroots American political activism at its finest. Republicans,
Democrats and Independents alike voiced their opinions in public
forums to public officials. It was a shining example of how our
Republic was designed to function. This activism has not faded with
the summer sun. Last week Americans from all walks of life flooded
Washington D.C. and continued their public opposition to President
Obama?s government-run experiments.

As an African American, I know what racism is and that is not racism.
Just like the millions of African Americans in this country who have
fought and overcome on their way to the American dream, I have
experienced racism firsthand. It is something you never forget. The
civil rights movement helped to elevate the nation?s conscience on
matters of race. Proud Americans, black and white, fought for too long
and too hard to have the claim of racism be used in such a cavalier
fashion. Blind charges of racism, where none exist, not only are an
affront to those who have suffered the effects of racism, but it
weakens our efforts to address true acts of racism and makes them more
difficult to overcome.

It is becoming increasingly clear that some in the Democratic Party
need a serious history lesson. Slavery was racist, Jim Crow laws were
racist, segregation was racist ? opposing a radical political agenda
is not. Americans of all races and political mindsets applauded the
election of America?s first African American president; it was a proud
moment for every American. But our pride in electing an
African-American president does not override our right to disagree
with President Obama?s policies. It is obvious certain politicians are
attempting to exploit racial anger to make up for their own policy
failings.

Americans have an obligation to stand up for what they believe in and
that is exactly what they are doing. As a whole, Americans are
exercising their First Amendment rights and are rejecting President
Obama?s massive government-run experiments. They want common sense
reforms and economic security. These principles are not found in the
Democrats? health care plans. The Democrats? health care plan is the
antithesis of these ideals.

President Obama?s campaign promised to move America beyond the bitter
divides of yesterday. But for leaders of the Democrat Party to
characterize Americans' disapproval of the president?s policies as
being based on race is an outrage and troubling sign about the lengths
Democrats will go to disparage all who disagree with them. Playing the
race card shows that Democrats are willing to deal from the bottom of
the deck. Our political system has no place for this. President Obama
should join me in calling for an end to these attacks by members of
his party and a renewal of honest debate.

Michael Steele is chairman of the Republican National Committee.

On 9/17/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> "While Steele stumbled early, he seems to be growing into the job.  I'm
> willing to give him a few months before passing judgment."
>
> I suspect that only reason that they are asking his opinion is that he is
> black.
>
> Yes, I supported Dawson Katon from a small town near Columbia, SC.  Katon
> has unique organizational skills.  He did a great job of putting together
> diverse groups into a political party.
>
> Katon will be heard from again, but not necessarily in the political realm.
> He has an auto parts business and is back to making a living the old fashion
> way, one sale at a time.  His abilities were exposed for all to see and I am
> betting several executive jobs will be offered over time.
>
> Katon is in his early 30's, married with a couple of kids.  I think that he
> is really comfortable running his own business and fishing and hunting on
> weekends.
>
> While not a gifted orator, presents himself well on stage and in the
> spotlight.  He had a gift at making a large group organized and effective.
> He started meetings on time and his choice for parliamentarian insured he
> completed the agenda and on time.
>
> Ed K
>
>
>
>
>
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 09:57:22 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:57:22 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Steele
In-Reply-To: <A0B26F05E8914F59A7032D7236EB2BAF@YOURB88038198E>
References: <A0B26F05E8914F59A7032D7236EB2BAF@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909170657kbaf2a36iae427265f135fc1a@mail.gmail.com>

Good one from Boortz (below). One of the reasons I don't read the
Memphis Commercial Appeal or follow Memphis city politics is because
it is always about race, 24/7.  Steve Cohen, the Congressman from that
district (I live just outside it) is attacked every two years for
being white. Cohen is waaaay too liberal for my tastes but he's one of
the hardest working members for constituent services in the House.
One of his opponents said openly last campaign season, "we can't have
a Jew representing a black district".  So much for tolerance.

Brad

-------------------

SO ... NOW WE ALL KNOW THIS IS JUST ABOUT OBAMA'S RACE
By
Neal Boortz
@ September 16, 2009 8:26 AM

And just who didn't see all of this coming? Come on, folks! Having you
been paying attention for the past 30 years? In virtually every state
and community in this nation liberals have been blaming racism for any
failure, miscalculation, controversy or outright act of corruption by
black elected officials. There has been a standard operating
methodology in place for all of the 40 years I've been doing talk
radio:

   1. Black citizen elected to office.
   2. Black official runs into opposition to policy objectives or has
a problem with corruption.
   3. Black supporters and liberals blame the problems on race.

One-two-three. This scenario has been played out so many times in
modern American history it would have been impossible to keep count.
Now a black man has become president. Some fools thought that this
would help our country move beyond racial division. Well --- perhaps
it would have, if only evil white people had been smart enough not to
object to anything this man might propose. But it didn't work out that
way, so now the left and the media are finding racists under every
bed, behind every utility pole and on every street in America.
Newsweek Magazine even ran a totally absurd story about racism in
babies ... putting a picture of a white infant on the cover with the
title "Is your baby racist?" Read that story and you'll find that the
authors think that it would be horrifying if a white child were to
ever express pride in being white.

Last year, before the election, some of us predicted that if (or when)
Barack Obama became president that this would happen. We said that
every time his policies met with opposition the left would start
screaming racism. So what happened when we said that this would
happen? Well ... you guessed it. We were called racists. You just
can't imagine how surprised and shocked we were.

So .. here is what Jimmy Carter, Bill Moyers, Hank Johnson, much of
the Washington and New York press corps, Newsweek Magazine and the
brilliant thinkers on the American left would have you believe of
Americans right now:

    * We would be more than willing to welcome cap-and-trade with open
arms, even if we paid a thousand dollars or more extra every year for
our energy use, if Barack Obama were only white.
    * We would be dancing in the streets celebrating the dawning of
government control of our health care if only Barack Obama were white.
    * It would be just dandy if government bureaucrats rationed health
care for our parents, as long as the president is white.
    * We would jump at the chance of the government owning ALL of the
auto manufacturing companies .. not just General Motors ... if the
president just didn't have dark skin.
    * We would applaud those ACORN workers giving tax avoidance advice
to a pimp and his prostitute if the workers hadn't been black.
    * Most Americans - even ones that don't pay income taxes now -
would be more than willing to give 70% of everything they earn to the
federal government when asked ... so long as they are asked by a white
president.
    * We would have been thrilled, I tell you ... THRILLED to have all
of those Islamic goons being held at Guantanamo be not only released,
but sent to be school resource officers at our local government
schools, if only a white president put that plan in motion.
    * It would be OK if a white president stood back and allowed Iran
to build its coveted nukes ... we're only unhappy about that because a
black president is doing it.
    * Deficits? We don't care about deficits! Make our children and
grand children and great grand children pay through the nose for our
president's spending habits ... just so long as the president isn't
black.
    * Government pork? Like we actually care? Look ... you folks in
Washington can spend all the money you want - how about more studies
of the mating habits of Polish Zlotnika pigs? - just make sure it's
not a black president who signs the spending bill into law.
    * We wouldn't care if all illegal aliens were counted twice in the
next Census ... just so long as the president isn't black.
    * Those Black Panther thugs who threatened voters in Philly? The
ONLY reason we're upset that they were given a pass is because Barack
Obama is black.
    * Every single member of the president's cabinet could be a tax
cheat as far as we're concerned ... just so long as the president is
white.
    * Forced unionization? Bring it on! We love card check! We love
the idea of union goons threatening and intimidating workers to sign a
card saying they want to belong to a union! What we don't like is that
a black president is pushing this idea.
    * Single-party talks with that Gargoyle that runs North Korea?
It's about time we legitimized that little pipsqueak. We're only
mildly upset here because the person who is doing that happens to be
black.
    * More regulation of the finance sector? We could care less! For
all we care you can nationalize the banks and decree that only the
government can make home loans .. .and you can even apportion those
home loans on the basis of race if you want to ... just so long as the
president is white!
    * Minimum wage? Like we care about that? Raise it to $15 an hour
if you want! Just give us our white president back.

Yeah .. the moonbat left really has us figured out, don't they?
On 9/17/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> "While Steele stumbled early, he seems to be growing into the job.  I'm
> willing to give him a few months before passing judgment."
>
> I suspect that only reason that they are asking his opinion is that he is
> black.
>
> Yes, I supported Dawson Katon from a small town near Columbia, SC.  Katon
> has unique organizational skills.  He did a great job of putting together
> diverse groups into a political party.
>
> Katon will be heard from again, but not necessarily in the political realm.
> He has an auto parts business and is back to making a living the old fashion
> way, one sale at a time.  His abilities were exposed for all to see and I am
> betting several executive jobs will be offered over time.
>
> Katon is in his early 30's, married with a couple of kids.  I think that he
> is really comfortable running his own business and fishing and hunting on
> weekends.
>
> While not a gifted orator, presents himself well on stage and in the
> spotlight.  He had a gift at making a large group organized and effective.
> He started meetings on time and his choice for parliamentarian insured he
> completed the agenda and on time.
>
> Ed K
>
>
>
>
>
>

From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 11:25:12 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:25:12 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Boortz
Message-ID: <79DE0588C2AD4DF79AD1FAFC4E0A4813@YOURB88038198E>

Neil Boortz and Herman Cain operate out of same office ... Boortz is nationally syndicated, when he takes a day off or goes on vacation ... Herman usually takes his microphone...  They are both in Atlanta, GA.

Boortz is a libertarian.

Ed K


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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 11:17:27 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:17:27 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Racism
Message-ID: <400985d70909170817jc382f9biba1707a1dcaa481d@mail.gmail.com>

On a hunch, I checked Julitette's website (she's from the same tribe
as Obama) to see if she had commented on Jimmah Carter.  She did -

http://baldilocks.typepad.com/

Scroll down to her second post.  There's too many links to cut-n-paste.

Brad

From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 17 11:46:20 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:46:20 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] mojo?
Message-ID: <F4BCF2DE9308481CA57704E2779D0557@YOURB88038198E>

http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=NDg3OTY2MQ==

September 12, 2009 
Memo to a young president: Words are not enough 
By Thomas Walkom

It was easy to cheer when Barack Obama became America's 44th president.

At 47, he was young, articulate and attractive. He spoke of reconciliation at a time when political partisans inside his own country were at daggers drawn. His talk of a return to international civility encouraged those outside the U.S. who feared that America had become an outlaw state.

He was the first black president in a nation historically consumed by race.

Best of all, he was not George W. Bush. 

In those heady days, few bothered to ask how Obama would implement his often vague and contradictory promises. The world and its media were too busy going ga-ga.

Today, Obama - and those who suspended common sense to believe in him - are paying the price. The questions he never had to answer during his rise to power have returned to haunt him.

During his campaign for the presidency, Obama talked eloquently of change. But he rarely explained what that might mean. When he was specific, it was clear that his notion of change was remarkably conservative - sometimes the boilerplate positions of his Democratic party; often considerably less.

He vowed to reform the American health-care system. But the specifics of his plan - to provide more and better care without raising taxes, without increasing the federal deficit and without eliminating the billions of dollars in administrative waste generated by America's free-for-all private insurance system - were always internally contradictory.

He promised to extract America from an unpopular war in Iraq. Yet he insisted on committing his country more fully to an unwinnable and now equally unpopular war in Afghanistan. 

He promised to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions, while at the same time repairing relations with that country.

He promised to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive Middle East peace without jeopardizing America's close ties to, and massive subsidization of, Israel.

That some of Obama's plans might work sometime in the future is possible. That up to now few have succeeded should come as no surprise.

Clearly, Obama cannot be blamed for everything.

He did not invent the recession, the mortgage meltdown, the North American auto crisis or the global financial collapse.

By committing vast amounts of federal dollars to fight the recession, he followed not only the new international orthodoxy but almost certainly the correct path.

Yet even here, the president's debilitating caution came through, particularly in his reluctance to comprehensively tackle the core of the problem, America's bloated and dysfunctional financial system. 

Instead, Obama and his treasury secretary Timothy Geithner focused on fixing that system just enough to let it resume those practices - such as issuing complex asset-backed securities - that caused the economic crisis in the first place.

In foreign policy, Obama has said all the right things - from his overtures to Iran, to his tough talk against Israeli settlement expansion to his appeals to the Muslim world.

Yet, as in his campaign for the presidency, there is a striking lack of detail as to what these fine words might mean.

Will he have the nerve to apply sanctions against Israel if it continues to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank? Clearly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who continues to thumb his nose at Obama, doesn't think so.

In Afghanistan, Obama faces the same contradictions that overwhelmed Bush. To mount a successful counterinsurgency campaign without alienating the local population through bombing raids, he needs tens of thousands of ground troops. Yet the more U.S. soldiers Obama commits, the more unpopular the war becomes at home.

As Afghanistan's recent election has demonstrated, even the politics of that country is impossible. Obama and his NATO allies want a strong central government capable of taking over the war against the Taliban. Yet when President Hamid Karzai uses traditional methods to achieve this aim - such as nepotism, stuffing ballot boxes, approving misogynist laws and making deals with shady warlords, public opinion in the West is scandalized.

Yet it is in the area of health-care reform that Obama's initial shortcomings have become most obvious.

Such reforms are never easy. Canadians look askance at the venom and ignorance expressed toward Obama's modest proposals for expanding medical coverage. But we forget how difficult it was to introduce medicare in this country.

The first effort, in Saskatchewan, was met by a province-wide doctors' strike with physicians warning that government interference in health care would lead to disaster.

And when national medicare finally became a reality in 1968, two of Canada's biggest provinces - Ontario and Alberta - remained defiantly opposed.

Even so, the Canadian experience seems adroit compared with Obama's handling of the health file. From the beginning, it has never been exactly clear what he wanted. As a liberal Democrat, he adheres to the notion of universal health care, but in a manner that lacks the detail and passion of a Ted Kennedy or the expertise of a Hillary Clinton.

Whether his last-minute pitch to Congress and the country on Wednesday night will save the scheme is unclear. But then so is the scheme itself, a hodgepodge of taxes, insurance rules and incentives that, in its various Congressional manifestations, almost certainly won't provide the universal coverage it is intended to achieve.

Much of this can be blamed on the complexity of the U.S. political system and the ideological fundamentalism of the many Americans who equate government involvement with Communism.

But Obama bears the brunt of the responsibility. His early insistence on bipartisan approval left health reform hostage to those who opposed it. His refusal to articulate a clear vision allowed enemies of reform and their friends in the lunatic right to define the issue in their own terms - as a plot by Nazis to institute death panels.

Most of all, his own lack of clarity has crippled his efforts. Obama wanted to present health reform as a measure that would expand medical coverage to all, while costing Americans less. Yet he deliberately foreclosed the only options - single-pay insurance and pharmaceutical bargaining - that would have allowed him to achieve those competing aims.

Single-pay insurance, versions of which exist in most industrial countries (including Canada) saves money both by reducing administrative costs associated with multiple private insurers and by spreading any financial risk over a wide pool of insured clients. This is done by creating a regulated, usually public, health insurance monopoly.

No country has pure single-pay; Canada, for instance, allows private insurers to cover drug, dental and so-called ancillary health-care costs. But even so, the savings are major and, in this country, covered much of the cost of expanding basic health care to the sick and poor. In the U.S. case, experts estimate that the savings from single pay could be tens of billions of dollars.

Pharmaceutical bargaining, pioneered in Australia, allows governments to negotiate prices with the big drug companies as a way to reduce what has now become the fastest growing element of health-care costs worldwide. That too would provide significant funds for any U.S. universal scheme. 

Yet Obama has axed both ideas, in part to assuage the drug and insurance lobbies, in part to persuade the American public that he's not a Red.

The result, as the New York Times reported this week, is that the plan Obama articulated on Wednesday doesn't include enough funding to cover all uninsured Americans - which would make it a most peculiar universal health-care proposal.

Earlier this week, a Star headline talked of Obama losing his mojo. The truth may be starker. Perhaps he never had any. Perhaps the magic that his public is so desperate to believe in has always been illusory.

Thomas Walkom's column appears Wednesday and Saturday.


Torstar Syndication Services 


 2009 Torstar Syndication Services. Permission granted for up to 5 e-mails. All rights reserved. 
You may forward this article or get additional permissions by typing http://license.icopyright.net/3.7212?icx_id=693934 into any web browser. Torstar Syndication Services and Toronto Star logos are registered trademarks of Torstar Syndication Services . The iCopyright logo is a registered trademark of iCopyright, Inc. 
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 12:09:29 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:09:29 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Boortz
In-Reply-To: <79DE0588C2AD4DF79AD1FAFC4E0A4813@YOURB88038198E>
References: <79DE0588C2AD4DF79AD1FAFC4E0A4813@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909170909h4049ee82sbef2ea85d022ff5@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Steele is on the circuit -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkpRDOA_xO4&feature=player_embedded

He's getting better.  I had some doubt about his organizational skills
as well, and I still do, but he's doing a good job as a spokesperson.
His job is bigger than just being a face, a black face, and if he
can't handle the behind the scenes organizing job I'll be the first
one to call for his head regardless of the color of the face. Steele
has had some problems in the past including his personal finances.  We
needn't apologize for raising the bar so high. Thus far, he's OK in my
book.

Brad

On 9/17/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> Neil Boortz and Herman Cain operate out of same office ... Boortz is
> nationally syndicated, when he takes a day off or goes on vacation ...
> Herman usually takes his microphone...  They are both in Atlanta, GA.
>
> Boortz is a libertarian.
>
> Ed K
>
>
>

From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 17 17:33:37 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:33:37 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Is This Woman Completely Nuts?
Message-ID: <400985d70909171433v299dc78etd1c8c42e29639d09@mail.gmail.com>

Oh please, Nancy!  Take a day off and get another face lift -

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8603009

What violence is she speaking of?  Is she talking about a union thug
beating-up Kenneth Gladney in St. Louis?  Or was she referring to the
Tucson Tea Party where a protester disrupted a meeting, elbowed an
attendee and the was hauled off by the police. Or, could it be the
town hall meeting in Chicago where Health Care for America Now bussed
in people and gave explicit instructions on how to confront protesters
(a kind of "get in their faces" move encouraged by Dear Leader).  This
is pathetic.  Oh, and the violence in San Fran she refers to - it was
a party hack who killed another party member over a job and then got a
light sentence on the "Twinkie Defense". Remember the gathering in DC
last weekend?  How many arrests?  Zero you say?

These people are desperate.  If you're not a racist then you're just violent.

Cry me a river!  Our nation is in the best of hands, NOT!  This woman
is a stark raving lunatic.

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 18 07:53:12 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:53:12 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] New ACORN Ad
Message-ID: <400985d70909180453y18518ef5y5386dbed20d7115e@mail.gmail.com>

http://tinyurl.com/qs2mu3

From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 18 08:09:24 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:09:24 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Bold Face Liar
Message-ID: <400985d70909180509x30158a6h808e0b6fffaa39ce@mail.gmail.com>

This video just surfaced from the campaign -

http://tinyurl.com/nuyd75

To anyone who has been paying attention, nationalizing health care has
been the goal for years. Dr. Emmanuel is on record saying cost savings
from better record keeping is minuscule and mere "window dressing".
The comment about states withholding monies to make their budget is
another whopper.  I know from my own experience with my parents that
Medicare just doesn't pay the going rates for services and you either
have to negotiate with your doctor or supplement the cost. The biggest
whopper from the State of the Union address is that his program will
be "revenue" neutral.  Really?  Based on what model?  He admits in
this video it will cost 90 to 100 Billion A YEAR!  That's only off by
a TRILLION in the first decade.  But hey, he was only off two TRILLION
on his deficit numbers in the first six months in office. What's a
THOUSAND BILLION amongst friends? You could confiscate 100% of the
earnings of the "wealthy" and it wouldn't be revenue neutral. Would
any sane and rational person even by a clunker from this man?

Coffee anyone?

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 18 12:07:59 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:07:59 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] We've Been Fakt!
Message-ID: <400985d70909180907n6c10a042u2489236accb0173f@mail.gmail.com>

According to the UK press, we got nothing out of this deal. I honestly
don't know if it was a good deal or not, but the Poles don't seem to
think so.  BTW, Poland is our ally in Iraq and Afghanistan. Israel is
under no illusions about whether the US is an ally under the Obama
administration.  God Bless Israel - do what you have to do!  At any
rate, it was a "stick in the face" to announce this deal on the 70th
anniversary of the Russian invasion of Poland. Maybe it's just a
simple misunderstanding, somewhat like sending Churchill's bust back
to Great Britain. Send an i-pod with The One's speeches and everything
will be fine.

These are interesting times.

http://tinyurl.com/mdu239

The One is either a genius or an idiot.  Frankly, I don't see much
in-between.  I hope I'm wrong.

Brad
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Fri Sep 18 15:22:37 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:22:37 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] English lanugae lesson
Message-ID: <F789B219DC7B42E395EA141A3F146EDB@YOURB88038198E>

English Language History lesson

 

Did you ever wonder where those "old" sayings came from?  Now you'll know!

 

       The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:  

 

         They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery........if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"

 

         But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't20even afford to buy a pot...........they "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low. 

                               

         Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell ... brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.  Hence, the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

 

          Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children.  Last of all, the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

 

          Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

 

         There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

 

         The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence,  the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

 

                            (Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

 

         In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.

 

           Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.

 

           Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

 

           Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

 

           Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.  Hence the custom of holding a wake.

 

           England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer...

 

           And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring? 

                             

            So . . . get out there and educate someone!  Share these facts with a friend like I just did! ! ! 
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 18 16:55:37 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:55:37 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] John McCain Redeemed
Message-ID: <400985d70909181355r28689ed5pca9608edb247e8ad@mail.gmail.com>

It's no secret I'm no John McCain fan, never was.  But he just gained
two points in my book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-LhzEhEbVU&feature=player_embedded

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 18 18:45:38 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:45:38 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Michelle To Sell Health Care Plan
Message-ID: <400985d70909181545y5673d4a0i31bba3e33c1621b5@mail.gmail.com>

So the First Lady is going to sell her husband's health care plan.
Well, she should know something about the issue since she held a
$300,000 a year public affairs job at the University of Chicago
hospital until a few days before her husband became POTUS (her job was
eliminated when she resigned).  While there, she was responsible along
with board member Valerie Jarret for hiring David Axlerod to promote a
"patient dumping" scheme.  Here's how that worked out -

http://www.acep.org/pressroom.aspx?id=44294

Yeah buddy!  We've got the best and the brightest working on the issue.

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Fri Sep 18 19:09:07 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:09:07 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Education
Message-ID: <400985d70909181609v12b49daek32fff9eed718ca64@mail.gmail.com>

Another book to put in the que.  I especially liked this one... number
seven of the American Indian Model Students? Ten Commandments reads:
?Thou shalt beware of quacks who believe in communism. Thou hast the
quickest route to freedom through free market capitalism and private
property ownership. Hast thou ever heard of illegal immigrants risking
their lives to enter Cuba??

Brad

-------------

September 14, 2009, 4:00 a.m.

Straight Outta Oakland
A principal tells it like it is.

By Mark Hemingway

Tales of Dr. Ben Chavis have been drifting out of the Bay Area for a
while now. However, there have been few high-profile media stories,
and the educational apparatus in this country is no doubt doing its
best to squelch reports of his accomplishments.

So it?s a good thing that Chavis has written a book, Crazy Like a Fox:
One Principal?s Triumph in the Inner City, which provides a
first-person account of one of the country?s greatest educational
success stories. It?s true that Chavis is a controversial figure ? the
book provides ample evidence of that. He?s profane, boasts of
humiliating his students when they ?act a fool,? and isn?t afraid to
tell a teacher or a parent who he feels is out of line where to stick
it. He?s beyond politically incorrect and talks about race with a
frankness that would make Chris Rock blush.

Chavis gets away with a lot because he?s undeniably one of the
country?s finest educators. In 2000, he took over the American Indian
Public Charter School (AIPCS) in Oakland, an inner-city charter school
composed almost exclusively of low-income minority students. By the
time he stepped down in 2007, he had turned it into the
fifth-highest-rated middle school in the state ? out of 1,300. (Of the
four that rank higher, none has an underprivileged student body.) And
Chavis?s curriculum and educational approaches are being spread with
notable success to other middle and high schools in Oakland.

What the educational establishment really hates about Chavis is that
he has achieved this success by exploding nearly every liberal myth
about education. His approach to education is strictly old-school, and
based on proven, effective methods. The only thing innovative about
what he?s doing is that he?s doing it in the face of decades of
?progressive? education. A few core tenets of his educational
philosophy are:

Requiring near-perfect attendance.

Maximizing the amount of class time and number of school days. (Summer
school is required, and teachers are expected to assign a minimum of
two hours of homework each day.)

Heavily weighting the curriculum toward language arts and math.
(Chavis?s schools spend twice as much time on those subjects as most
other California schools.)

Liberally handing out disciplinary actions such as detention, and
otherwise ensuring that order is maintained.

Setting and enforcing standards ? e.g., every eighth-grader must pass
Algebra I. (In many California high schools, it?s possible to graduate
with just ?General Math.?)

Making a big public point of not setting lower standards for minority
students. (Too many educational institutions indulge in the ?soft
bigotry of low expectations,? as President Bush memorably put it.)

None of this is, or should be, particularly controversial. Chavis?s
one major departure is his insistence on keeping students in one
self-contained classroom where one teacher teaches all the subjects
and stays with the same group of students as they move from one grade
to the next. Chavis maintains that this both increases educational
accountability and introduces a level of stability important for
underprivileged kids.

Otherwise, Chavis?s emphasis on hard work and high standards is simply
the foundation of any good education. ?What we?re doing is so easy,?
Chavis told the L.A. Times last year. The trouble comes from the
educational establishment, which is deeply in thrall to people Chavis
calls ?squawkers, multicultural specialists, [and] self-esteem
experts? that this commonsense approach seems downright revolutionary.

Chavis doesn?t just dismiss the current obsession with self-esteem and
multiculturalism, he despises it. The American Indian Public Charter
School was on the verge of closure when Chavis inherited it. Its
administration was incompetent, and its curriculum was a joke. Because
Oakland has a significant American Indian population, thanks to
government relocation programs from decades past, somebody in the
Oakland Unified School District got sold on the idea of a junior high
teaching kids Native American crafts such as basket weaving and bead
making. Not to mention that the school went in for pseudo?Native
American traditions such as passing a branch of burning sage around
while everybody sat in a circle and adults told the kids about their
problems. Chavis refers to the principal who preceded him as ?Chief
Bad Example.?

When Chavis dismisses diversity-heavy education, he doesn?t do so
lightly. He is a Lumbee Indian born to an uneducated mother and raised
in a sharecroppers? shack in rural North Carolina. He?s certainly
proud of his heritage, but where most modern educators insist that
improving self-esteem is necessary to facilitate learning, Chavis
insists they have it backwards. ?Many Indian elders who live on a
Navajo reservation know a lot about their culture. Does that qualify
them to get into Harvard or Stanford?? he writes. Chavis once bought
into the educational dogma he now wholly rejects; he writes that his
eyes were opened when he was pressured by his dissertation committee
to make the conclusion of his dissertation more politically correct:
?That was a major turning point for me. . . . I started to question
the sacred cows of education: parent involvement, volunteer work, more
money for schools, culture, self-esteem, bilingual ed and minority
holidays.?


Chavis?s educational insights have made him as effective an educator
as he is unpopular with his peers: ?Most public-school educators don?t
see eye to eye with me. . . . I have no problem badmouthing educators
who cheat minority students with their pity, community circles, bead
making, general math for twelfth-graders, bilingual education for
twelve years, sheltered English immersion, and low expectations. Can
you think of a better way to screw over minorities in education and
dumb us down??

As a result of his frustration over the low standards set for minority
students, Chavis embraces standardized tests. ?We do not believe
standardized tests discriminate against students because of their
color,? writes Chavis in a document called ?Common Sense & Useful
Learning at AIPCS.? ?Could it be many of them have not been adequately
prepared to take those tests?? Where public-school teachers everywhere
whine about ?teaching to the test,? Chavis has dedicated his book to
George W. Bush and Ted Kennedy for passing the No Child Left Behind
Act. He repeatedly praises the legislation for mandating standards and
making schools publicly accountable to them.

Chavis tells the truth with the bark off. Here he is on school
funding: ?Taxpayers have been conned for years . . . into thinking the
problem with schools is they need more funding. This is the biggest
lie in public education in this country. . . . The financial incentive
in America is to be a failing school.? On hiring teachers: ?If you
want to do a child a favor, hire a great teacher to educate him. The
whole political agenda of ?We need more Indians, we need more black
teachers? is racist, ridiculous, and often provides inept educators
with a way of getting on the payroll. Just because someone?s Indian
doesn?t mean he?s a better role model for an Indian child than someone
who?s not Indian.?

Throughout the book, Chavis emphasizes preparing his students for the
world of free-market capitalism. In fact, number seven of the American
Indian Model Students? Ten Commandments reads: ?Thou shalt beware of
quacks who believe in communism. Thou hast the quickest route to
freedom through free market capitalism and private property ownership.
Hast thou ever heard of illegal immigrants risking their lives to
enter Cuba??

Dr. Chavis certainly has a knack for getting people?s attention. But
despite his best efforts, the left-wing educational establishment
doesn?t want to hear what he has to say. The educational system in
this country is designed to chew up and spit out people who expose its
failings. Remember Jaime Escalante, the teacher who had amazing
success teaching calculus to barrio kids in Los Angeles? Edward James
Olmos portrayed him in the film Stand and Deliver, and America got all
warm and fuzzy over how he helped those kids. Well, Hollywood didn?t
bother making the sequel, where Escalante was systematically targeted
by teachers? unions and drummed out of a job for working long hours
and generally making other teachers look bad.

If Chavis is to have any measurable impact on the educational debate
in America, he?s going to have to go over the heads of professional
educators. Thrust this book into the hands of all the parents you know
and implore them to read it. It?s hard to imagine a clearer call for
pulling American education out of a haze of multiculturalism and fuzzy
math, and getting back to the basics of the three Rs and hard work.
Chavis is passionate, articulate, and entertaining. He?s also right.


From flybrad at gmail.com  Sat Sep 19 19:38:45 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:38:45 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Just Another Teabag Redneck!
Message-ID: <400985d70909191638w28f75adfn5a63128f3f957178@mail.gmail.com>

http://tinyurl.com/nyucjq

From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Sun Sep 20 01:58:50 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:58:50 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Just Another Teabag Redneck!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909191638w28f75adfn5a63128f3f957178@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909191638w28f75adfn5a63128f3f957178@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909192258r5ea08d8fm2403ed84a3b559bb@mail.gmail.com>

Yep, He's one of those smart black men I would've liked to have been able to
vote for. But, are we sure he ain't a racist???

Rik

On Sat, Sep 19, 2009 at 6:38 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> http://tinyurl.com/nyucjq
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Sun Sep 20 21:25:01 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:25:01 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nut Crackers!
Message-ID: <400985d70909201825j21e5681bm5275fc154154d41f@mail.gmail.com>

>From the "whore's" dad -

No, It Wasn?t My Idea for Hannah Giles to Dress Like a Hooker and
Infiltrate ACORN
Doug Giles
Saturday, September 19, 2009

It?s been quite interesting watching and reading the statements coming
from ACORN and various ?news? organizations about the ?facts? of the
Giles/O?Keefe ACORN caper. Here?s a little sample of what they have
been saying about the two evil citizen journalists, Hannah Giles and
James O?Keefe, the ones who picked on poor, poor, poor, old ACORN.

Check it out, the truth according to nutty ACORN (and what really happened):

1. Giles? and O?Keefe?s timeframe for filming. Bertha Lewis and others
have stated that Hannah and James spent many months visiting scores of
ACORN centers to get these few videos. One wizard said Hannah and
James had been doing this since 2005, which would have made Hannah,
oh, let?s see, about 14 or 15. Hello! I?m a cool dad?but not that
cool.

I guess Bertha could be right about the time Giles and O?Keefe
invested in the ACORN sting op if she counts her days in dog years. If
that?s how she rolls then she?s spot-on with the ?many months?
statement. By the way, if that?s true, this November I?ll be 329 years
old. Happy birthday to me! I think I?ll get another gun! I?m diggin?
on the S&W .500 magnum. She?s purty.

The truth of the matter, from a timeline standpoint, is that they
hatched their plan in May of ?09, fine-tuned it from May 20th ? July
23rd, and then launched July 24th, fully accomplishing their mission
by the end of August. And that?s a fact to all those for whom facts
still matter.

2. Giles? and O?Keefe?s mission failed in many locations. Bertha and
her buddies say with vigor and Reverend Wright unction that Giles and
O?Keefe tried this trick in hundreds of locations without success.
Marc Lamont Hill was on O?Reilly?s show this past week parroting the
same smack. I heard one lunatic say they visited thousands of centers
nationwide (there are under 200. Oops). Hey, guys: Why stop at
hundreds and thousands? Why not say gazillions or quadrillions of
ACORN centers?! Go Dr. Evil with the numbers. The truth of the matter
happens to be that Hannah and James visited just a few locations?I
won?t say how many?and struck gold, or sewage, everywhere they went.

Get Glenn Beck's Brand New Book:
Arguing With Idiots

3. Giles and O?Keefe had FOX News bankroll this escapade. I believe
that, according to the ACORN spinmeisters, they had the amount of
drachmas FOX had given Hannah and James in the hundreds of millions of
dollars. The oh-so-sexy reality regarding this little nugget is that
it cost these two acorn-crackers $1,300 of their own money. It?s
amazing what one can do with a little cash, grandma?s chinchilla coat,
a miniskirt and a whole lot of vision, eh? The only cash they received
from FOX was for their hotel stay and their airfare while they did
Beck?s and Hannity?s shows. That?s the truth. Oh, and as far as me
giving her any pesos, for this epoch her papasito gave her nada. Not a
penny. No FOX funds. No crazy Christian dad dollars.

4. Giles? radical, ultra-conservative Christian dad put her up to it.
I believe that?s how someone on one of those unwatched news shows has
been bending it. Well, I can tell you as her dad that I did not. As
much as me no likey the nefarious underpinnings and corrupt acts of
ACORN, having my kid dress like a hooker and infiltrate such a place
is not in my repertoire. That was Hannah?s baby from start to finish.
I simply told her to be careful because we all know how dangerous
sweet community organizers can be. Oh, FYI . . . if confessing I?m a
sinner, believing orthodox Christian doctrine, saluting our flag and
that for which it stands, loving the Constitution, hating terrorists,
being fond of guns, hunting, country and rock music while adoring
freedom makes me a crazy ultra-conservative Christian lunatic then I
guess I am one of those. I will put that name right next to the other
name Obama?s former green czar called such a person back in March (I
believe he called us ?a**holes?).

5. Giles and O?Keefe doctored the tapes. This is silly. James is a
talented post-production editor, but he didn?t put the words in the
ACORN workers? mouths. He?s sharp . . . but not that sharp. Anyway, if
he did you and I both would know it because it would have looked and
sounded like one of those old Bruce Lee flicks. Unfortunately for
Bertha, Andrew Breitbart has the vids and the transcripts in their
entirety on his new site biggovernment.com for anyone to behold. Grab
some popcorn and watch ?em. It?s a teachable moment. Oh, speaking of
the tapes: You might wanna go back to the San Bernadino one and listen
to the list of politicians the ACORN lady rattled off as elected
officials who would possibly be ready and willing to assist with the
House for Hookers program.

Well, my children, that?s the inside poop on how it happened. That?s
reality. I, personally, am stunned by what my kid and her cohort did
in ratting out tawdry corruption on the highest (or lowest) level. As
far as I am concerned, Giles and O?Keefe are American heroes par
excellence. They accomplished something in a few short weeks, on a
wing and a prayer, that other agencies and people have been trying to
expose for many, many moons.


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Sun Sep 20 22:55:14 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:55:14 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nut Crackers!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909201825j21e5681bm5275fc154154d41f@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909201825j21e5681bm5275fc154154d41f@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909201955k7986a8fdyb8e0c48aa009cb1f@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

One thing did occur to me as I watched one of the news clips they were in. I
hope they are carrying!! The dangerous part wasn't going into the offices.
The dangerous part is now .... after they start exposing these people to a
world of hurt. If they don't think this could get nasty .... well, that'd be
pretty naive.

They'd best be ready to defend themselves.

Actually, if congress had a hair on it's ass, it'd assign them some body
guards to make sure they live 'til the trial.

Rik

On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 8:25 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> >From the "whore's" dad -
>
> No, It Wasn?t My Idea for Hannah Giles to Dress Like a Hooker and
> Infiltrate ACORN
> Doug Giles
> Saturday, September 19, 2009
>
> It?s been quite interesting watching and reading the statements coming
> from ACORN and various ?news? organizations about the ?facts? of the
> Giles/O?Keefe ACORN caper. Here?s a little sample of what they have
> been saying about the two evil citizen journalists, Hannah Giles and
> James O?Keefe, the ones who picked on poor, poor, poor, old ACORN.
>
> Check it out, the truth according to nutty ACORN (and what really
> happened):
>
> 1. Giles? and O?Keefe?s timeframe for filming. Bertha Lewis and others
> have stated that Hannah and James spent many months visiting scores of
> ACORN centers to get these few videos. One wizard said Hannah and
> James had been doing this since 2005, which would have made Hannah,
> oh, let?s see, about 14 or 15. Hello! I?m a cool dad?but not that
> cool.
>
> I guess Bertha could be right about the time Giles and O?Keefe
> invested in the ACORN sting op if she counts her days in dog years. If
> that?s how she rolls then she?s spot-on with the ?many months?
> statement. By the way, if that?s true, this November I?ll be 329 years
> old. Happy birthday to me! I think I?ll get another gun! I?m diggin?
> on the S&W .500 magnum. She?s purty.
>
> The truth of the matter, from a timeline standpoint, is that they
> hatched their plan in May of ?09, fine-tuned it from May 20th ? July
> 23rd, and then launched July 24th, fully accomplishing their mission
> by the end of August. And that?s a fact to all those for whom facts
> still matter.
>
> 2. Giles? and O?Keefe?s mission failed in many locations. Bertha and
> her buddies say with vigor and Reverend Wright unction that Giles and
> O?Keefe tried this trick in hundreds of locations without success.
> Marc Lamont Hill was on O?Reilly?s show this past week parroting the
> same smack. I heard one lunatic say they visited thousands of centers
> nationwide (there are under 200. Oops). Hey, guys: Why stop at
> hundreds and thousands? Why not say gazillions or quadrillions of
> ACORN centers?! Go Dr. Evil with the numbers. The truth of the matter
> happens to be that Hannah and James visited just a few locations?I
> won?t say how many?and struck gold, or sewage, everywhere they went.
>
> Get Glenn Beck's Brand New Book:
> Arguing With Idiots
>
> 3. Giles and O?Keefe had FOX News bankroll this escapade. I believe
> that, according to the ACORN spinmeisters, they had the amount of
> drachmas FOX had given Hannah and James in the hundreds of millions of
> dollars. The oh-so-sexy reality regarding this little nugget is that
> it cost these two acorn-crackers $1,300 of their own money. It?s
> amazing what one can do with a little cash, grandma?s chinchilla coat,
> a miniskirt and a whole lot of vision, eh? The only cash they received
> from FOX was for their hotel stay and their airfare while they did
> Beck?s and Hannity?s shows. That?s the truth. Oh, and as far as me
> giving her any pesos, for this epoch her papasito gave her nada. Not a
> penny. No FOX funds. No crazy Christian dad dollars.
>
> 4. Giles? radical, ultra-conservative Christian dad put her up to it.
> I believe that?s how someone on one of those unwatched news shows has
> been bending it. Well, I can tell you as her dad that I did not. As
> much as me no likey the nefarious underpinnings and corrupt acts of
> ACORN, having my kid dress like a hooker and infiltrate such a place
> is not in my repertoire. That was Hannah?s baby from start to finish.
> I simply told her to be careful because we all know how dangerous
> sweet community organizers can be. Oh, FYI . . . if confessing I?m a
> sinner, believing orthodox Christian doctrine, saluting our flag and
> that for which it stands, loving the Constitution, hating terrorists,
> being fond of guns, hunting, country and rock music while adoring
> freedom makes me a crazy ultra-conservative Christian lunatic then I
> guess I am one of those. I will put that name right next to the other
> name Obama?s former green czar called such a person back in March (I
> believe he called us ?a**holes?).
>
> 5. Giles and O?Keefe doctored the tapes. This is silly. James is a
> talented post-production editor, but he didn?t put the words in the
> ACORN workers? mouths. He?s sharp . . . but not that sharp. Anyway, if
> he did you and I both would know it because it would have looked and
> sounded like one of those old Bruce Lee flicks. Unfortunately for
> Bertha, Andrew Breitbart has the vids and the transcripts in their
> entirety on his new site biggovernment.com for anyone to behold. Grab
> some popcorn and watch ?em. It?s a teachable moment. Oh, speaking of
> the tapes: You might wanna go back to the San Bernadino one and listen
> to the list of politicians the ACORN lady rattled off as elected
> officials who would possibly be ready and willing to assist with the
> House for Hookers program.
>
> Well, my children, that?s the inside poop on how it happened. That?s
> reality. I, personally, am stunned by what my kid and her cohort did
> in ratting out tawdry corruption on the highest (or lowest) level. As
> far as I am concerned, Giles and O?Keefe are American heroes par
> excellence. They accomplished something in a few short weeks, on a
> wing and a prayer, that other agencies and people have been trying to
> expose for many, many moons.
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep 21 06:16:45 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:16:45 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] David Kaiser - comments
Message-ID: <F4A3451BBD104E32BC0C1EAC26C45B93@YOURB88038198E>

http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/



Take the three minutes to read this. 

Maybe he is wrong.   What if he is right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C., Albany, New York, and Dakar, Senegal.  He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years at Harvard, gaining a Ph.D in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.


He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University . Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dr. David Kaiser

History Unfolding

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes, these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

 

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

 

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?

 

We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.

 

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?

 

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

 

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?). We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

 

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x 10...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

 

And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe were more important).

 

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why?

 

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.

 

This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

 

And that is only the beginning...

 

As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

 

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews, of course,  

 

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ... change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

 

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.

 

So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.

 

Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

 

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.

 

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.

 

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.

 

David Kaiser    

Jamestown , Rhode Island

United States     

 
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep 21 06:42:04 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:42:04 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] My previous email is NOT TRUE.
Message-ID: <FC9625B5D7014B4A882D65BA1BBA3D0A@YOURB88038198E>

After reading David Kaiser's post, and checking the source I find that the he says the post is not his and is untrue.

Snopes makes a disclaimer, however, other such verifiers do not make such disclaimer. Snopes has track record as unreliable for truth.  About.com does not address issue.  Kaiser makes denial himself.

Conclusion - hoax until proven otherwise.

Disregard previous post -- but do read David Kaiser's blog:

http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/

Ed K

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From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 07:47:27 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:47:27 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nut Crackers!
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909201955k7986a8fdyb8e0c48aa009cb1f@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909201825j21e5681bm5275fc154154d41f@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909201955k7986a8fdyb8e0c48aa009cb1f@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909210447r6f608dc0y48043ff7264ab540@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

They've already received death threats. Yes, I worry about their well
being as well. Breibart has announced he's got another target he'll
release soon.  The speculation is that it is the NEA and their "art
for Obama" program.  Out of almost 800 Billion dollars, only 23
Billion is for "stuff", roads & bridges and things you can see.  The
rest is scattered everywhere and the people who voted for it don't
know because they didn't read the bill.  That's some serious dough
floating around.  Obama and Bill Ayers know how to blow through money
quickly.  The went through the initial 50 million from the Annenberg
Challenge and an estimated 160 million dollars total in Chicago on
race based education programs.  How much money is the "Safe School
Czar" Kevin Jennings getting for his gay agenda?  Van Jones was ONLY
slated for 80 Billion for his "green jobs" function. There's some 700+
Billion going somewhere to people who are accountable to no one.
Where's the dead-tree media?

With that kind of money at stake, these kid's really did put
themselves in harm's way. I wouldn't accept any free "aspirin" if I
were them.

Brad


On 9/20/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> One thing did occur to me as I watched one of the news clips they were in. I
> hope they are carrying!! The dangerous part wasn't going into the offices.
> The dangerous part is now .... after they start exposing these people to a
> world of hurt. If they don't think this could get nasty .... well, that'd be
> pretty naive.
>
> They'd best be ready to defend themselves.
>
> Actually, if congress had a hair on it's ass, it'd assign them some body
> guards to make sure they live 'til the trial.
>
> Rik
>
> On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 8:25 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> >From the "whore's" dad -
>>
>> No, It Wasn?t My Idea for Hannah Giles to Dress Like a Hooker and
>> Infiltrate ACORN
>> Doug Giles
>> Saturday, September 19, 2009
>>
>> It?s been quite interesting watching and reading the statements coming
>> from ACORN and various ?news? organizations about the ?facts? of the
>> Giles/O?Keefe ACORN caper. Here?s a little sample of what they have
>> been saying about the two evil citizen journalists, Hannah Giles and
>> James O?Keefe, the ones who picked on poor, poor, poor, old ACORN.
>>
>> Check it out, the truth according to nutty ACORN (and what really
>> happened):
>>
>> 1. Giles? and O?Keefe?s timeframe for filming. Bertha Lewis and others
>> have stated that Hannah and James spent many months visiting scores of
>> ACORN centers to get these few videos. One wizard said Hannah and
>> James had been doing this since 2005, which would have made Hannah,
>> oh, let?s see, about 14 or 15. Hello! I?m a cool dad?but not that
>> cool.
>>
>> I guess Bertha could be right about the time Giles and O?Keefe
>> invested in the ACORN sting op if she counts her days in dog years. If
>> that?s how she rolls then she?s spot-on with the ?many months?
>> statement. By the way, if that?s true, this November I?ll be 329 years
>> old. Happy birthday to me! I think I?ll get another gun! I?m diggin?
>> on the S&W .500 magnum. She?s purty.
>>
>> The truth of the matter, from a timeline standpoint, is that they
>> hatched their plan in May of ?09, fine-tuned it from May 20th ? July
>> 23rd, and then launched July 24th, fully accomplishing their mission
>> by the end of August. And that?s a fact to all those for whom facts
>> still matter.
>>
>> 2. Giles? and O?Keefe?s mission failed in many locations. Bertha and
>> her buddies say with vigor and Reverend Wright unction that Giles and
>> O?Keefe tried this trick in hundreds of locations without success.
>> Marc Lamont Hill was on O?Reilly?s show this past week parroting the
>> same smack. I heard one lunatic say they visited thousands of centers
>> nationwide (there are under 200. Oops). Hey, guys: Why stop at
>> hundreds and thousands? Why not say gazillions or quadrillions of
>> ACORN centers?! Go Dr. Evil with the numbers. The truth of the matter
>> happens to be that Hannah and James visited just a few locations?I
>> won?t say how many?and struck gold, or sewage, everywhere they went.
>>
>> Get Glenn Beck's Brand New Book:
>> Arguing With Idiots
>>
>> 3. Giles and O?Keefe had FOX News bankroll this escapade. I believe
>> that, according to the ACORN spinmeisters, they had the amount of
>> drachmas FOX had given Hannah and James in the hundreds of millions of
>> dollars. The oh-so-sexy reality regarding this little nugget is that
>> it cost these two acorn-crackers $1,300 of their own money. It?s
>> amazing what one can do with a little cash, grandma?s chinchilla coat,
>> a miniskirt and a whole lot of vision, eh? The only cash they received
>> from FOX was for their hotel stay and their airfare while they did
>> Beck?s and Hannity?s shows. That?s the truth. Oh, and as far as me
>> giving her any pesos, for this epoch her papasito gave her nada. Not a
>> penny. No FOX funds. No crazy Christian dad dollars.
>>
>> 4. Giles? radical, ultra-conservative Christian dad put her up to it.
>> I believe that?s how someone on one of those unwatched news shows has
>> been bending it. Well, I can tell you as her dad that I did not. As
>> much as me no likey the nefarious underpinnings and corrupt acts of
>> ACORN, having my kid dress like a hooker and infiltrate such a place
>> is not in my repertoire. That was Hannah?s baby from start to finish.
>> I simply told her to be careful because we all know how dangerous
>> sweet community organizers can be. Oh, FYI . . . if confessing I?m a
>> sinner, believing orthodox Christian doctrine, saluting our flag and
>> that for which it stands, loving the Constitution, hating terrorists,
>> being fond of guns, hunting, country and rock music while adoring
>> freedom makes me a crazy ultra-conservative Christian lunatic then I
>> guess I am one of those. I will put that name right next to the other
>> name Obama?s former green czar called such a person back in March (I
>> believe he called us ?a**holes?).
>>
>> 5. Giles and O?Keefe doctored the tapes. This is silly. James is a
>> talented post-production editor, but he didn?t put the words in the
>> ACORN workers? mouths. He?s sharp . . . but not that sharp. Anyway, if
>> he did you and I both would know it because it would have looked and
>> sounded like one of those old Bruce Lee flicks. Unfortunately for
>> Bertha, Andrew Breitbart has the vids and the transcripts in their
>> entirety on his new site biggovernment.com for anyone to behold. Grab
>> some popcorn and watch ?em. It?s a teachable moment. Oh, speaking of
>> the tapes: You might wanna go back to the San Bernadino one and listen
>> to the list of politicians the ACORN lady rattled off as elected
>> officials who would possibly be ready and willing to assist with the
>> House for Hookers program.
>>
>> Well, my children, that?s the inside poop on how it happened. That?s
>> reality. I, personally, am stunned by what my kid and her cohort did
>> in ratting out tawdry corruption on the highest (or lowest) level. As
>> far as I am concerned, Giles and O?Keefe are American heroes par
>> excellence. They accomplished something in a few short weeks, on a
>> wing and a prayer, that other agencies and people have been trying to
>> expose for many, many moons.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 08:21:44 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:21:44 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Nut Crackers!
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909210447r6f608dc0y48043ff7264ab540@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909201825j21e5681bm5275fc154154d41f@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909201955k7986a8fdyb8e0c48aa009cb1f@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909210447r6f608dc0y48043ff7264ab540@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909210521r6852d8e3y9da87080a9569414@mail.gmail.com>

A couple of updates -

http://tinyurl.com/nspc25

http://tinyurl.com/le6vnx

It is frightening that you have to fear the dead-tree press and their
agenda as much as the 'goobermint'.

Brad


On 9/21/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> Rik,
>
> They've already received death threats. Yes, I worry about their well
> being as well. Breibart has announced he's got another target he'll
> release soon.  The speculation is that it is the NEA and their "art
> for Obama" program.  Out of almost 800 Billion dollars, only 23
> Billion is for "stuff", roads & bridges and things you can see.  The
> rest is scattered everywhere and the people who voted for it don't
> know because they didn't read the bill.  That's some serious dough
> floating around.  Obama and Bill Ayers know how to blow through money
> quickly.  The went through the initial 50 million from the Annenberg
> Challenge and an estimated 160 million dollars total in Chicago on
> race based education programs.  How much money is the "Safe School
> Czar" Kevin Jennings getting for his gay agenda?  Van Jones was ONLY
> slated for 80 Billion for his "green jobs" function. There's some 700+
> Billion going somewhere to people who are accountable to no one.
> Where's the dead-tree media?
>
> With that kind of money at stake, these kid's really did put
> themselves in harm's way. I wouldn't accept any free "aspirin" if I
> were them.
>
> Brad
>
>
> On 9/20/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Brad,
>>
>> One thing did occur to me as I watched one of the news clips they were in.
>> I
>> hope they are carrying!! The dangerous part wasn't going into the
>> offices.
>> The dangerous part is now .... after they start exposing these people to
>> a
>> world of hurt. If they don't think this could get nasty .... well, that'd
>> be
>> pretty naive.
>>
>> They'd best be ready to defend themselves.
>>
>> Actually, if congress had a hair on it's ass, it'd assign them some body
>> guards to make sure they live 'til the trial.
>>
>> Rik
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 8:25 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> >From the "whore's" dad -
>>>
>>> No, It Wasn?t My Idea for Hannah Giles to Dress Like a Hooker and
>>> Infiltrate ACORN
>>> Doug Giles
>>> Saturday, September 19, 2009
>>>
>>> It?s been quite interesting watching and reading the statements coming
>>> from ACORN and various ?news? organizations about the ?facts? of the
>>> Giles/O?Keefe ACORN caper. Here?s a little sample of what they have
>>> been saying about the two evil citizen journalists, Hannah Giles and
>>> James O?Keefe, the ones who picked on poor, poor, poor, old ACORN.
>>>
>>> Check it out, the truth according to nutty ACORN (and what really
>>> happened):
>>>
>>> 1. Giles? and O?Keefe?s timeframe for filming. Bertha Lewis and others
>>> have stated that Hannah and James spent many months visiting scores of
>>> ACORN centers to get these few videos. One wizard said Hannah and
>>> James had been doing this since 2005, which would have made Hannah,
>>> oh, let?s see, about 14 or 15. Hello! I?m a cool dad?but not that
>>> cool.
>>>
>>> I guess Bertha could be right about the time Giles and O?Keefe
>>> invested in the ACORN sting op if she counts her days in dog years. If
>>> that?s how she rolls then she?s spot-on with the ?many months?
>>> statement. By the way, if that?s true, this November I?ll be 329 years
>>> old. Happy birthday to me! I think I?ll get another gun! I?m diggin?
>>> on the S&W .500 magnum. She?s purty.
>>>
>>> The truth of the matter, from a timeline standpoint, is that they
>>> hatched their plan in May of ?09, fine-tuned it from May 20th ? July
>>> 23rd, and then launched July 24th, fully accomplishing their mission
>>> by the end of August. And that?s a fact to all those for whom facts
>>> still matter.
>>>
>>> 2. Giles? and O?Keefe?s mission failed in many locations. Bertha and
>>> her buddies say with vigor and Reverend Wright unction that Giles and
>>> O?Keefe tried this trick in hundreds of locations without success.
>>> Marc Lamont Hill was on O?Reilly?s show this past week parroting the
>>> same smack. I heard one lunatic say they visited thousands of centers
>>> nationwide (there are under 200. Oops). Hey, guys: Why stop at
>>> hundreds and thousands? Why not say gazillions or quadrillions of
>>> ACORN centers?! Go Dr. Evil with the numbers. The truth of the matter
>>> happens to be that Hannah and James visited just a few locations?I
>>> won?t say how many?and struck gold, or sewage, everywhere they went.
>>>
>>> Get Glenn Beck's Brand New Book:
>>> Arguing With Idiots
>>>
>>> 3. Giles and O?Keefe had FOX News bankroll this escapade. I believe
>>> that, according to the ACORN spinmeisters, they had the amount of
>>> drachmas FOX had given Hannah and James in the hundreds of millions of
>>> dollars. The oh-so-sexy reality regarding this little nugget is that
>>> it cost these two acorn-crackers $1,300 of their own money. It?s
>>> amazing what one can do with a little cash, grandma?s chinchilla coat,
>>> a miniskirt and a whole lot of vision, eh? The only cash they received
>>> from FOX was for their hotel stay and their airfare while they did
>>> Beck?s and Hannity?s shows. That?s the truth. Oh, and as far as me
>>> giving her any pesos, for this epoch her papasito gave her nada. Not a
>>> penny. No FOX funds. No crazy Christian dad dollars.
>>>
>>> 4. Giles? radical, ultra-conservative Christian dad put her up to it.
>>> I believe that?s how someone on one of those unwatched news shows has
>>> been bending it. Well, I can tell you as her dad that I did not. As
>>> much as me no likey the nefarious underpinnings and corrupt acts of
>>> ACORN, having my kid dress like a hooker and infiltrate such a place
>>> is not in my repertoire. That was Hannah?s baby from start to finish.
>>> I simply told her to be careful because we all know how dangerous
>>> sweet community organizers can be. Oh, FYI . . . if confessing I?m a
>>> sinner, believing orthodox Christian doctrine, saluting our flag and
>>> that for which it stands, loving the Constitution, hating terrorists,
>>> being fond of guns, hunting, country and rock music while adoring
>>> freedom makes me a crazy ultra-conservative Christian lunatic then I
>>> guess I am one of those. I will put that name right next to the other
>>> name Obama?s former green czar called such a person back in March (I
>>> believe he called us ?a**holes?).
>>>
>>> 5. Giles and O?Keefe doctored the tapes. This is silly. James is a
>>> talented post-production editor, but he didn?t put the words in the
>>> ACORN workers? mouths. He?s sharp . . . but not that sharp. Anyway, if
>>> he did you and I both would know it because it would have looked and
>>> sounded like one of those old Bruce Lee flicks. Unfortunately for
>>> Bertha, Andrew Breitbart has the vids and the transcripts in their
>>> entirety on his new site biggovernment.com for anyone to behold. Grab
>>> some popcorn and watch ?em. It?s a teachable moment. Oh, speaking of
>>> the tapes: You might wanna go back to the San Bernadino one and listen
>>> to the list of politicians the ACORN lady rattled off as elected
>>> officials who would possibly be ready and willing to assist with the
>>> House for Hookers program.
>>>
>>> Well, my children, that?s the inside poop on how it happened. That?s
>>> reality. I, personally, am stunned by what my kid and her cohort did
>>> in ratting out tawdry corruption on the highest (or lowest) level. As
>>> far as I am concerned, Giles and O?Keefe are American heroes par
>>> excellence. They accomplished something in a few short weeks, on a
>>> wing and a prayer, that other agencies and people have been trying to
>>> expose for many, many moons.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>>
>>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>>
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 08:39:46 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:39:46 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Next Bailout - Birdcage Liner Industry
Message-ID: <400985d70909210539n589af52dp79e6953baa0ad121@mail.gmail.com>

Joseph Goebbels must be proud!

http://tinyurl.com/n2yumh

Do you really think the dead-tree media will be objective or cover their ass?

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 09:11:39 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:11:39 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] My previous email is NOT TRUE.
In-Reply-To: <FC9625B5D7014B4A882D65BA1BBA3D0A@YOURB88038198E>
References: <FC9625B5D7014B4A882D65BA1BBA3D0A@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909210611p617cf871w91c61ccfbc4e0cb@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

It is unfortunate that the author falsely attributed the writing to
David Kaiser because the history is correct.  A take-over by all
despots, be they Hitler or Mao, are variations of the "boiling the
frog" syndrome.  My wife's grandfather didn't lose his store and
property immediately - first he became an employee about five years
after 1949 and eventually was stripped of all his assets (similar
stories can be told by millions of families in China).  At first, the
German industrialists praised Hitler because they thought they could
work with him and game the system.  Look at GE's behavior lately.

The vote to de-fund ACORN was part of a larger bill to nationalize
student loans. You can make the argument that this is more efficient
and better for students.  Perhaps it is.  On the other hand, what if
you want to attend a college or university that doesn't favor the
current government?  What if you're a political activist against the
current administration holding power? The possibilities for foul play
and misuse of power are endless.  Somehow, I don't think this is what
the founding fathers had in mind.

Brad

On 9/21/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> After reading David Kaiser's post, and checking the source I find that the
> he says the post is not his and is untrue.
>
> Snopes makes a disclaimer, however, other such verifiers do not make such
> disclaimer. Snopes has track record as unreliable for truth.  About.com does
> not address issue.  Kaiser makes denial himself.
>
> Conclusion - hoax until proven otherwise.
>
> Disregard previous post -- but do read David Kaiser's blog:
>
> http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/
>
> Ed K
>
>

From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep 21 10:01:05 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:01:05 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] history is correct
Message-ID: <B097D9F03AC44114B8D198B118367015@YOURB88038198E>

Brad said, "It is unfortunate that the author falsely attributed the writing to
David Kaiser because the history is correct."

That is precisely why I got sucked in.  Actually the original can be traced back, but has been removed from that site.  Ironcally recent history has shown the assumptions to be correct.

Any reading of the biography of Mussolini shows an uncanny similarity to Obama and facism.  

Here is another interesting read:

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/14700 (go to print version, it has less garbage)  This article is well documented and the references are just as interesting.



Ed K
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 10:27:37 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:27:37 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] My previous email is NOT TRUE.
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909210611p617cf871w91c61ccfbc4e0cb@mail.gmail.com>
References: <FC9625B5D7014B4A882D65BA1BBA3D0A@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909210611p617cf871w91c61ccfbc4e0cb@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909210727q6d51a5b1j75a694d98beb8617@mail.gmail.com>

Brad, Ed,

There's laws against monopolies. Of course, our gov't in it's -for your own
good- wisdom, doesn't feel those laws should apply to them. Unfortunately
for the poor soul who believes the gov't has his best interests at heart,
the gov't monopoly is far more dangerous than the public one.

Ever tried to exercise your "rights" when the gov't is set against you? ....
Good luck with that!

Here's a flash back that is TOTALLY appropriate to the situation we are
facing right now. I like the end part the best and wish we could get to that
part sooner rather than later!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI

Wake up America! We are being sold a bottle of snake oil ..... with real
snakes.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 8:11 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ed,
>
> It is unfortunate that the author falsely attributed the writing to
> David Kaiser because the history is correct.  A take-over by all
> despots, be they Hitler or Mao, are variations of the "boiling the
> frog" syndrome.  My wife's grandfather didn't lose his store and
> property immediately - first he became an employee about five years
> after 1949 and eventually was stripped of all his assets (similar
> stories can be told by millions of families in China).  At first, the
> German industrialists praised Hitler because they thought they could
> work with him and game the system.  Look at GE's behavior lately.
>
> The vote to de-fund ACORN was part of a larger bill to nationalize
> student loans. You can make the argument that this is more efficient
> and better for students.  Perhaps it is.  On the other hand, what if
> you want to attend a college or university that doesn't favor the
> current government?  What if you're a political activist against the
> current administration holding power? The possibilities for foul play
> and misuse of power are endless.  Somehow, I don't think this is what
> the founding fathers had in mind.
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/21/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> > After reading David Kaiser's post, and checking the source I find that
> the
> > he says the post is not his and is untrue.
> >
> > Snopes makes a disclaimer, however, other such verifiers do not make such
> > disclaimer. Snopes has track record as unreliable for truth.  About.com
> does
> > not address issue.  Kaiser makes denial himself.
> >
> > Conclusion - hoax until proven otherwise.
> >
> > Disregard previous post -- but do read David Kaiser's blog:
> >
> > http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/
> >
> > Ed K
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 10:47:59 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:47:59 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] My previous email is NOT TRUE.
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909210727q6d51a5b1j75a694d98beb8617@mail.gmail.com>
References: <FC9625B5D7014B4A882D65BA1BBA3D0A@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909210611p617cf871w91c61ccfbc4e0cb@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909210727q6d51a5b1j75a694d98beb8617@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909210747y67565033tae24c5178242408a@mail.gmail.com>

Brad, Ed,

It appears you are correct Ed. that email wasn't written by Kaiser. If you
read this (his) blog post, you'll realize that he's just another Obamite
boot licker and isn't bright enough to have written your original offering.

http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/

Rik

On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 9:27 AM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Brad, Ed,
>
> There's laws against monopolies. Of course, our gov't in it's -for your own
> good- wisdom, doesn't feel those laws should apply to them. Unfortunately
> for the poor soul who believes the gov't has his best interests at heart,
> the gov't monopoly is far more dangerous than the public one.
>
> Ever tried to exercise your "rights" when the gov't is set against you?
> .... Good luck with that!
>
> Here's a flash back that is TOTALLY appropriate to the situation we are
> facing right now. I like the end part the best and wish we could get to that
> part sooner rather than later!!!
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI
>
> Wake up America! We are being sold a bottle of snake oil ..... with real
> snakes.
>
> Rik
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 8:11 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ed,
>>
>> It is unfortunate that the author falsely attributed the writing to
>> David Kaiser because the history is correct.  A take-over by all
>> despots, be they Hitler or Mao, are variations of the "boiling the
>> frog" syndrome.  My wife's grandfather didn't lose his store and
>> property immediately - first he became an employee about five years
>> after 1949 and eventually was stripped of all his assets (similar
>> stories can be told by millions of families in China).  At first, the
>> German industrialists praised Hitler because they thought they could
>> work with him and game the system.  Look at GE's behavior lately.
>>
>> The vote to de-fund ACORN was part of a larger bill to nationalize
>> student loans. You can make the argument that this is more efficient
>> and better for students.  Perhaps it is.  On the other hand, what if
>> you want to attend a college or university that doesn't favor the
>> current government?  What if you're a political activist against the
>> current administration holding power? The possibilities for foul play
>> and misuse of power are endless.  Somehow, I don't think this is what
>> the founding fathers had in mind.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/21/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>> > After reading David Kaiser's post, and checking the source I find that
>> the
>> > he says the post is not his and is untrue.
>> >
>> > Snopes makes a disclaimer, however, other such verifiers do not make
>> such
>> > disclaimer. Snopes has track record as unreliable for truth.  About.com
>> does
>> > not address issue.  Kaiser makes denial himself.
>> >
>> > Conclusion - hoax until proven otherwise.
>> >
>> > Disregard previous post -- but do read David Kaiser's blog:
>> >
>> > http://historyunfolding.blogspot.com/
>> >
>> > Ed K
>> >
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Mon Sep 21 13:49:41 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:49:41 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Great Cartoon!
Message-ID: <CD10B1ECC8134EE38198888A1D22C0EC@YOURB88038198E>

Rik,

Great cartoon... 

I read the blog after I posted the original post.  Should have read it first.  But I got sucked in because it is accurate, and even more so today, rather than when it was originally written.

The guy is totally dishonest, but I said that before he was elected.  Now he is going to want a plan before he send more force to Afganistan.  Were we not told he knew the answer during the election?

Ed K
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Mon Sep 21 15:17:04 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:17:04 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Great Cartoon!
In-Reply-To: <CD10B1ECC8134EE38198888A1D22C0EC@YOURB88038198E>
References: <CD10B1ECC8134EE38198888A1D22C0EC@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909211217g69542453s26bf95e51eed7dc8@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Yes, we were told before the election. He had a plan. Some of us saw the
plan for what it was..... a con.

You see, there never really was a plan. Just a lot of words. Too many were
gullible enough to believe that Utopia is actually possible. We'll pay for
that foolishness for quite some time to come.

Rik

On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 12:49 PM, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

>  Rik,
>
> Great cartoon...
>
> I read the blog after I posted the original post.  Should have read it
> first.  But I got sucked in because it is accurate, and even more so today,
> rather than when it was originally written.
>
> The guy is totally dishonest, but I said that before he was elected.  Now
> he is going to want a plan before he send more force to Afganistan.  Were we
> not told he knew the answer during the election?
>
> Ed K
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
-------------- next part --------------
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 09:53:32 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:53:32 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Palin Speaks
Message-ID: <400985d70909230653x60b2183cmfe33aac1a8659b64@mail.gmail.com>

Wow, I almost fainted when I read the attached New York Times article.
 They actually had good things to say about Sarah Palin.  Of course it
was from their website and only 47 minutes old so we'll see what makes
it into print.  I like the observation by the author that Palin is a
Libertarian and the Obama supporter's comment that "she's bright".
Duuuuh, we knew that.

Brad

-------------------

September 24, 2009
Palin Speaks to Investors in Hong Kong
By MARK McDONALD

HONG KONG ? Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her first speech
overseas, spoke on Wednesday to Asian bankers, investors and fund
managers.

A number of people who heard the speech in a packed hotel ballroom,
which was closed to the media, said Mrs. Palin spoke from notes for 90
minutes and that she was articulate, well-prepared and even
compelling.

?The speech was wide-ranging, very balanced, and she beat all
expectations,? said Doug A. Coulter, head of private equity in the
Asia-Pacific region for LGT Capital Partners.

?She didn?t sound at all like a far-right-wing conservative. She
seemed to be positioning herself as a libertarian or a small-c
conservative,? he said, adding that she mentioned both Ronald Reagan
and Margaret Thatcher. ?She brought up both those names.?

Mrs. Palin said she was speaking as ?someone from Main Street U.S.A.,?
and she touched on her concerns about oversized federal bailouts and
the unsustainable American government deficit. She did not repeat her
attack from last month that the Obama administration?s health care
proposals would create a ?death panel? that would allow federal
bureaucrats to decide who is ?worthy of health care.?

Cameron Sinclair, another speaker at the event, said Mrs. Palin
emphasized the need for a grassroots rebirth of the Republican Party
driven by party leaders outside Washington.

A number of attendees thought Mrs. Palin, the former vice presidential
candidate, was using the speech to begin to broaden her foreign policy
credentials before making a run for the presidency in 2012.

?She?s definitely a serious future presidential candidate, and I
understand why she plays so well in middle America,? said Mr. Coulter,
a Canadian.

Mrs. Palin was faulted during the campaign last year for her lack of
foreign policy experience and expertise. As the governor of Alaska,
she said in her own defense, she had a unique insight because ?you can
actually see Russia from land here in Alaska? ? a remark that was
widely lampooned.

Accompanying Mrs. Palin to Hong Kong was Randy Scheunemann, the former
foreign policy adviser to John McCain, who lost the 2008 election to
President Obama.

Mrs. Palin did not take questions from the media after the speech, and
there was a high degree of security and secrecy around the event. Only
invited guests and a handful of employees from CLSA, the brokerage
house that sponsored the event, were allowed inside the ballroom.

A CLSA spokeswoman declined to confirm a rumor that Mrs. Palin was
paid $300,000 for her Hong Kong appearance.

When she resigned as governor in July, Mrs. Palin cited numerous
reasons for stepping down, including more than $500,000 in legal fees
that she and her husband, Todd, incurred because of 15 ethics
complaints filed against her during her two and a half years in
office.

Mr. Coulter said CLSA has a history of inviting keynote speakers who
are ?newsworthy and potentially controversial.? Other previous
speakers at the conference have included Al Gore, Alan Greenspan, Bono
and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Mrs. Palin?s speech took place at the Grand Hyatt on the Victoria
Harbor waterfront and amid the soaring towers of corporate giants like
AIG, HSBC and the Bank of China. Some attendees saw Hong Kong as an
auspicious place for her first major international appearance.

Melvin Good?, a regional marketing consultant, thought Mrs. Palin
chose Hong Kong because, he said, it was ?a place where things happen
and where freedom can be expanded upon.?

?It?s not Beijing or Shanghai,? said Mr. Good? . ?She also mentioned
Tibet, Burma and North Korea in the same breath as places where China
should be more sensitive and careful about how people are treated. She
said it on a human-rights level.?

Mr. Good?, an African-American who said he did some campaign polling
for President Obama, said Mrs. Palin mentioned President Obama three
times on Wednesday.

?And there was nothing derogatory in it, no sleight of hand, and
believe me, I was listening for that,? he said, adding that Mrs. Palin
referred to Mr. Obama as ?our president,? with the emphasis on ?our.?

Mr. Good?, a New Yorker who said he would never vote for Mrs. Palin,
said she acquitted herself well.

?They really prepared her well,? he said. ?She was articulate and she
held her own. I give her credit. They?ve tried to categorize her as
not being bright. She?s bright.?


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 10:37:43 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:37:43 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Palin Speaks
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909230653x60b2183cmfe33aac1a8659b64@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909230653x60b2183cmfe33aac1a8659b64@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909230737l34151d1btdba9d8f584b52493@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

It is EXTREMELY unfortunate that we have to subject ourselves to the whims
of the current administration to get people to finally see the light. Sarah
is shining brightly, yet still, few can see.

Some just have to learn the hard way. It'd just be nice if they'd learn on
their own dime, eh??

We can only hope to make it to the next election before the dollar crashes
or the economy gives up altogether.

Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we .... expect free lunch!

GO SARAH!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 8:53 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Wow, I almost fainted when I read the attached New York Times article.
>  They actually had good things to say about Sarah Palin.  Of course it
> was from their website and only 47 minutes old so we'll see what makes
> it into print.  I like the observation by the author that Palin is a
> Libertarian and the Obama supporter's comment that "she's bright".
> Duuuuh, we knew that.
>
> Brad
>
> -------------------
>
> September 24, 2009
> Palin Speaks to Investors in Hong Kong
> By MARK McDONALD
>
> HONG KONG ? Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her first speech
> overseas, spoke on Wednesday to Asian bankers, investors and fund
> managers.
>
> A number of people who heard the speech in a packed hotel ballroom,
> which was closed to the media, said Mrs. Palin spoke from notes for 90
> minutes and that she was articulate, well-prepared and even
> compelling.
>
> ?The speech was wide-ranging, very balanced, and she beat all
> expectations,? said Doug A. Coulter, head of private equity in the
> Asia-Pacific region for LGT Capital Partners.
>
> ?She didn?t sound at all like a far-right-wing conservative. She
> seemed to be positioning herself as a libertarian or a small-c
> conservative,? he said, adding that she mentioned both Ronald Reagan
> and Margaret Thatcher. ?She brought up both those names.?
>
> Mrs. Palin said she was speaking as ?someone from Main Street U.S.A.,?
> and she touched on her concerns about oversized federal bailouts and
> the unsustainable American government deficit. She did not repeat her
> attack from last month that the Obama administration?s health care
> proposals would create a ?death panel? that would allow federal
> bureaucrats to decide who is ?worthy of health care.?
>
> Cameron Sinclair, another speaker at the event, said Mrs. Palin
> emphasized the need for a grassroots rebirth of the Republican Party
> driven by party leaders outside Washington.
>
> A number of attendees thought Mrs. Palin, the former vice presidential
> candidate, was using the speech to begin to broaden her foreign policy
> credentials before making a run for the presidency in 2012.
>
> ?She?s definitely a serious future presidential candidate, and I
> understand why she plays so well in middle America,? said Mr. Coulter,
> a Canadian.
>
> Mrs. Palin was faulted during the campaign last year for her lack of
> foreign policy experience and expertise. As the governor of Alaska,
> she said in her own defense, she had a unique insight because ?you can
> actually see Russia from land here in Alaska? ? a remark that was
> widely lampooned.
>
> Accompanying Mrs. Palin to Hong Kong was Randy Scheunemann, the former
> foreign policy adviser to John McCain, who lost the 2008 election to
> President Obama.
>
> Mrs. Palin did not take questions from the media after the speech, and
> there was a high degree of security and secrecy around the event. Only
> invited guests and a handful of employees from CLSA, the brokerage
> house that sponsored the event, were allowed inside the ballroom.
>
> A CLSA spokeswoman declined to confirm a rumor that Mrs. Palin was
> paid $300,000 for her Hong Kong appearance.
>
> When she resigned as governor in July, Mrs. Palin cited numerous
> reasons for stepping down, including more than $500,000 in legal fees
> that she and her husband, Todd, incurred because of 15 ethics
> complaints filed against her during her two and a half years in
> office.
>
> Mr. Coulter said CLSA has a history of inviting keynote speakers who
> are ?newsworthy and potentially controversial.? Other previous
> speakers at the conference have included Al Gore, Alan Greenspan, Bono
> and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
>
> Mrs. Palin?s speech took place at the Grand Hyatt on the Victoria
> Harbor waterfront and amid the soaring towers of corporate giants like
> AIG, HSBC and the Bank of China. Some attendees saw Hong Kong as an
> auspicious place for her first major international appearance.
>
> Melvin Good?, a regional marketing consultant, thought Mrs. Palin
> chose Hong Kong because, he said, it was ?a place where things happen
> and where freedom can be expanded upon.?
>
> ?It?s not Beijing or Shanghai,? said Mr. Good? . ?She also mentioned
> Tibet, Burma and North Korea in the same breath as places where China
> should be more sensitive and careful about how people are treated. She
> said it on a human-rights level.?
>
> Mr. Good?, an African-American who said he did some campaign polling
> for President Obama, said Mrs. Palin mentioned President Obama three
> times on Wednesday.
>
> ?And there was nothing derogatory in it, no sleight of hand, and
> believe me, I was listening for that,? he said, adding that Mrs. Palin
> referred to Mr. Obama as ?our president,? with the emphasis on ?our.?
>
> Mr. Good?, a New Yorker who said he would never vote for Mrs. Palin,
> said she acquitted herself well.
>
> ?They really prepared her well,? he said. ?She was articulate and she
> held her own. I give her credit. They?ve tried to categorize her as
> not being bright. She?s bright.?
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Wed Sep 23 10:48:13 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:48:13 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Question for Brad about Palin speech
Message-ID: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>

Brad,

Is there any documentation to the speech?

Ed K
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 11:40:25 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:40:25 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Question for Brad about Palin speech
In-Reply-To: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>
References: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>
Message-ID: <400985d70909230840i5386f075t2909eabd40f471b6@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Not that I'm aware of, the speech was given just a few hours ago.
Below is the WSJ coverage. If you've ever watched Palin's interview
with Charlie Rose you will understand why I was rooting for her long
before anyone had ever heard of her.  The woman is smart and is has a
highly tuned BS detector. Will she run for POTUS in 2012 and be
successful?  Who knows.  I'm glad she's able to provide for her family
and secure their financial future. Leaving the Guv's office was smart
planning for her - she had nothing to gain by hanging on and faced not
only personal financial ruin but a stalemated government for Alaskans.
The last time someone of her stature quit voluntarily in the middle of
a term was Andrew Jackson (he quit the US Senate twice) and after his
second resignation became POTUS in the next election cycle.  That's a
little trivia the "she's a quitter" crowd remain ignorant of or silent
about by choice.

Brad

---------------

    * SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, 10:41 A.M. ET

Palin Addresses Asian Investors
Former Governor Touches on Budget Deficit, Health Care and China




By JONATHAN CHENG and ALEX FRANGOS

HONG KONG -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her
first public-speaking engagement outside North America, blamed the
world financial crisis on government excesses and called for a new
round of deregulation and tax cuts for U.S. businesses.

"We got into this mess because of government interference in the first
place," the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate said
Wednesday at a conference sponsored by investment firm CLSA
Asia-Pacific Markets. "We're not interested in government fixes, we're
interested in freedom," she added.



On the foreign-policy front, she told the room full of bankers and
executives of the importance of the global fight against terrorism and
of finding ways to engage China as a global power. She said China
"rightfully makes a lot of people nervous."

Her speech marks an effort to reach out to an international audience
and define her political identity since resigning from office earlier
this year. Mrs. Palin is among a handful of high-profile Republicans
seeking a path back to power for a party that lost control of both
houses of Congress and White House in last year's U.S. elections.

Mrs. Palin's address was officially closed to the media. The Wall
Street Journal reviewed a recording of the speech.

In the wide-ranging address, Mrs. Palin touched on the rising U.S.
budget deficit, the debate over a proposed health-care overhaul, the
war in Afghanistan and China's role in world affairs.
More

    * Real Time Econ: Palin Sounds Like Ron Paul
    * Washwire: Palin's Bridge to Hong Kong

She described her political philosophy as a "common-sense
conservatism," and said the free-market policies of Ronald Reagan and
Margaret Thatcher should be guides for how to get out of the current
economic situation. "Liberalism holds that there is no human problem
that government can't fix if only the right people are put in charge,"
she said.

Mrs. Palin didn't refer to President Barack Obama by name, but said
his promise for change during the election hasn't taken hold. She
called his campaign promises "nebulous, utopian sounding?Now 10 months
later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that
the change we want?"

In an echo of last year's presidential campaign, she criticized
government policies that result in what she called a redistribution of
wealth. "There is no justice in taking from one person and giving to
another," she said. "History shows it simply does not work."

Mrs. Palin blamed the U.S. Federal Reserve's low interest-rate policy
of previous years for setting the stage for last year's global
financial crisis. She opposed appointing the Fed as the chief overseer
of systemic risk in the U.S. financial system. "The words 'fox' and
'henhouse' come to mind. The Fed's decisions have created the bubble,"
she said.

She called for tax cuts as well as the elimination of the capital
gains and estate tax. Then, she said, the world will "watch the U.S.
economy roar back to life."

On health care, Mrs. Palin defended her previous criticisms that the
health-care overhaul proposed by Democrats would lead to health-care
rationing and what she called "death panels." "It's just common sense
that government attempts to solve problems like health care problem
will just create new problems." She called for "market friendly"
health care reform that gives tax breaks to individuals to buy health
insurance.
[Sarah Palin] Associated Press

Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended the 16th
annual CLSA Investors' Forum in Hong Kong Wednesday.

She acknowledged the economic rise of both China and India but called
for a vision of Asia in which no one country would dominate.

"We all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful and
prosperous," she said. But she added that the U.S. must work with
Asian allies in case "China goes in a different direction."

She said greater political openness in China could help soothe
tensions. "Many believed that with China liberalizing its economy,
greater political freedom would follow, but that hasn't happened," she
said. "The more open [China] is, the less we'll be concerned about its
military buildup and its intentions."

On U.S.-China trade relations, Mrs. Palin called for more openness and
warned against protectionism. We need China to improve its rule of
law, and protect our intellectual property," she said. "On our part,
we should be more open to Chinese investment where our national
security interests are not threatened."

She talked about the recent protests of ethnic minority Muslim
Uighurs, Chinese labor conditions, and Tibet. Mrs. Palin mentioned
Charter 08, a document signed by prominent academics and dissidents
calling for greater democracy and openness in China.

In other areas, she criticized Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
for speaking skeptically about the need for more troops in
Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and
if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will find a safe haven there
again," she said.

Mrs. Palin warmed up the crowd with her impressions of Hong Kong, one
of the densest urban areas in the world. "The wildlife-to-human ratio
is different from Alaska, but I could get used to it," she said.

She also spoke about how Alaska once shared a land bridge with Asia.
And she noted that her husband's Eskimo ancestors crossed that bridge.
"To consider that connection that allowed sharing of peoples and
bloodlines and wildlife and flora and fauna, that connection to me is
quite fascinating," she said.

Write to Jonathan Cheng at jonathan.cheng at wsj.com and Alex Frangos at
alex.frangos at wsj.com

On 9/23/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Is there any documentation to the speech?
>
> Ed K
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 11:48:13 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:48:13 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Question for Brad about Palin speech
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909230840i5386f075t2909eabd40f471b6@mail.gmail.com>
References: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909230840i5386f075t2909eabd40f471b6@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909230848q757476f6sbf6051e5af3ead7b@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

Here's more WSJ coverage (below).  I'm not a big Ron Paul fan, I know
Ric is, but I do agree with Dr. Paul with some of his views on the
Fed.

Brad

--------------



    * September 23, 2009, 8:46 AM ET

Palin, Sounding Like Ron Paul, Takes on the Fed

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fired a shot at the Federal Reserve in
her coming-out speech in Hong Kong today, blaming the central bank for
the current crisis and disagreeing with the idea that the Fed should
have a greater role in preventing the next crisis. It was an echo of
fellow Republican and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has led the
charge in Congress to perform an audit of the Federal Reserve with an
eye to eventually eliminating it.
Sarah Palin addresses Asian investors. (Associated Press)

?How can we discuss reform without addressing the government policies
at the root of the problems? The root of the collapse? And how can we
think that setting up the Fed as the monitor of systemic risk in the
financial sector will result in meaningful reform?? she said. ?The
words ?fox? and ?henhouse? come to mind. The Fed?s decisions helped
create the bubble. Look at the root cause of most asset bubbles, and
you?ll see the Fed somewhere in the background.?

More generally, Mrs. Palin took the tack that the financial crisis
occurred because government got in the way of free enterprise.

?Lack of government wasn?t the problem, government policies were the
problem. The marketplace didn?t fail. It became exactly as common
sense would expect it to,? she said. ?The government ordered the
loosening of lending standards. The Federal Reserve kept interest
rates low. The government forced lending institutions to give loans to
people who as I say, couldn?t afford them. Speculators spotted new
investment vehicles, jumped on board and rating agencies
underestimated risks. So many to be blamed on so many different
levels, but the fact remains that these people were responding to a
market solution created by government policies that ran contrary to
common sense,? she said.

On the question of more complex economic issues, Mrs. Palin told the
hall filled with bankers and economists, that would come later.

?Maybe you?re hoping to hear me discuss the derivations of the formula
for effective rate of protection, followed by a brief discussion of
the monetary approach to the balance of payments,? she said. ?If time
allows, a quick summary of factor price equalization. Maybe some
thoughts on quantitative easing, but that?s for next time. Because I
have spent my life closer to Main Street. That?s what I want to talk
about is that view from Main Street,? she said.


On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ed,
>
> Not that I'm aware of, the speech was given just a few hours ago.
> Below is the WSJ coverage. If you've ever watched Palin's interview
> with Charlie Rose you will understand why I was rooting for her long
> before anyone had ever heard of her.  The woman is smart and is has a
> highly tuned BS detector. Will she run for POTUS in 2012 and be
> successful?  Who knows.  I'm glad she's able to provide for her family
> and secure their financial future. Leaving the Guv's office was smart
> planning for her - she had nothing to gain by hanging on and faced not
> only personal financial ruin but a stalemated government for Alaskans.
> The last time someone of her stature quit voluntarily in the middle of
> a term was Andrew Jackson (he quit the US Senate twice) and after his
> second resignation became POTUS in the next election cycle.  That's a
> little trivia the "she's a quitter" crowd remain ignorant of or silent
> about by choice.
>
> Brad
>
> ---------------
>
>     * SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, 10:41 A.M. ET
>
> Palin Addresses Asian Investors
> Former Governor Touches on Budget Deficit, Health Care and China
>
>
>
>
> By JONATHAN CHENG and ALEX FRANGOS
>
> HONG KONG -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her
> first public-speaking engagement outside North America, blamed the
> world financial crisis on government excesses and called for a new
> round of deregulation and tax cuts for U.S. businesses.
>
> "We got into this mess because of government interference in the first
> place," the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate said
> Wednesday at a conference sponsored by investment firm CLSA
> Asia-Pacific Markets. "We're not interested in government fixes, we're
> interested in freedom," she added.
>
>
>
> On the foreign-policy front, she told the room full of bankers and
> executives of the importance of the global fight against terrorism and
> of finding ways to engage China as a global power. She said China
> "rightfully makes a lot of people nervous."
>
> Her speech marks an effort to reach out to an international audience
> and define her political identity since resigning from office earlier
> this year. Mrs. Palin is among a handful of high-profile Republicans
> seeking a path back to power for a party that lost control of both
> houses of Congress and White House in last year's U.S. elections.
>
> Mrs. Palin's address was officially closed to the media. The Wall
> Street Journal reviewed a recording of the speech.
>
> In the wide-ranging address, Mrs. Palin touched on the rising U.S.
> budget deficit, the debate over a proposed health-care overhaul, the
> war in Afghanistan and China's role in world affairs.
> More
>
>     * Real Time Econ: Palin Sounds Like Ron Paul
>     * Washwire: Palin's Bridge to Hong Kong
>
> She described her political philosophy as a "common-sense
> conservatism," and said the free-market policies of Ronald Reagan and
> Margaret Thatcher should be guides for how to get out of the current
> economic situation. "Liberalism holds that there is no human problem
> that government can't fix if only the right people are put in charge,"
> she said.
>
> Mrs. Palin didn't refer to President Barack Obama by name, but said
> his promise for change during the election hasn't taken hold. She
> called his campaign promises "nebulous, utopian sounding?Now 10 months
> later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that
> the change we want?"
>
> In an echo of last year's presidential campaign, she criticized
> government policies that result in what she called a redistribution of
> wealth. "There is no justice in taking from one person and giving to
> another," she said. "History shows it simply does not work."
>
> Mrs. Palin blamed the U.S. Federal Reserve's low interest-rate policy
> of previous years for setting the stage for last year's global
> financial crisis. She opposed appointing the Fed as the chief overseer
> of systemic risk in the U.S. financial system. "The words 'fox' and
> 'henhouse' come to mind. The Fed's decisions have created the bubble,"
> she said.
>
> She called for tax cuts as well as the elimination of the capital
> gains and estate tax. Then, she said, the world will "watch the U.S.
> economy roar back to life."
>
> On health care, Mrs. Palin defended her previous criticisms that the
> health-care overhaul proposed by Democrats would lead to health-care
> rationing and what she called "death panels." "It's just common sense
> that government attempts to solve problems like health care problem
> will just create new problems." She called for "market friendly"
> health care reform that gives tax breaks to individuals to buy health
> insurance.
> [Sarah Palin] Associated Press
>
> Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended the 16th
> annual CLSA Investors' Forum in Hong Kong Wednesday.
>
> She acknowledged the economic rise of both China and India but called
> for a vision of Asia in which no one country would dominate.
>
> "We all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful and
> prosperous," she said. But she added that the U.S. must work with
> Asian allies in case "China goes in a different direction."
>
> She said greater political openness in China could help soothe
> tensions. "Many believed that with China liberalizing its economy,
> greater political freedom would follow, but that hasn't happened," she
> said. "The more open [China] is, the less we'll be concerned about its
> military buildup and its intentions."
>
> On U.S.-China trade relations, Mrs. Palin called for more openness and
> warned against protectionism. We need China to improve its rule of
> law, and protect our intellectual property," she said. "On our part,
> we should be more open to Chinese investment where our national
> security interests are not threatened."
>
> She talked about the recent protests of ethnic minority Muslim
> Uighurs, Chinese labor conditions, and Tibet. Mrs. Palin mentioned
> Charter 08, a document signed by prominent academics and dissidents
> calling for greater democracy and openness in China.
>
> In other areas, she criticized Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
> for speaking skeptically about the need for more troops in
> Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and
> if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will find a safe haven there
> again," she said.
>
> Mrs. Palin warmed up the crowd with her impressions of Hong Kong, one
> of the densest urban areas in the world. "The wildlife-to-human ratio
> is different from Alaska, but I could get used to it," she said.
>
> She also spoke about how Alaska once shared a land bridge with Asia.
> And she noted that her husband's Eskimo ancestors crossed that bridge.
> "To consider that connection that allowed sharing of peoples and
> bloodlines and wildlife and flora and fauna, that connection to me is
> quite fascinating," she said.
>
> Write to Jonathan Cheng at jonathan.cheng at wsj.com and Alex Frangos at
> alex.frangos at wsj.com
>
> On 9/23/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>> Brad,
>>
>> Is there any documentation to the speech?
>>
>> Ed K
>>
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 11:53:51 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:53:51 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best interests??
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>

Good morning All,

Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?

Rik

____________________________
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM

AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington want to
sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.

The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
<http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>

Here?s the deal:

This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
was investigating
Humana<http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/>for
providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other Medicare
Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat health
?reform? could take away their current coverage.

Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating with
their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting a
health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely. Even
as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150
billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it stands
to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors? medical
care-with Democrats? full approval:

* The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the cuts to
Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.

* Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than most
private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While many of
these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the extra
benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage plans
be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of health
care.

* A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP received
more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct ?royalties
and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6 million
in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.

* Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all AARP
revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that in
1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
revenues.

* The Bloomberg
article<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg>-which
highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little secret?-profiled
seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above market
price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another disillusioned
senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had a
??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when he
arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of the
marble-covered atrium.

* While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare Advantage
plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in medical
claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement. In
other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20 cents
more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.

The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s increasing
dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence why AARP
would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase their
?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.

A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10 million
middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced, and
seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of the
heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program sponsored
by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement is a
huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required to
disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage
plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program. These
plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is not
seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare Advantage
plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates for
beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need for
hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but also
achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
(supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in rural
counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively low.
The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in Medicare
Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and likely
limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare Advantage
program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to establish
payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the inadequacy of
existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?

Philip Klein at the American
Spectator<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin>asked
the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
?scare tractics? in response.

Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:

Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)

And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises again:
?Do you work for us or do we work for
you??<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 12:17:48 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:17:48 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Cap-n-Trade Your Real Estate
Message-ID: <400985d70909230917y69082cdeybb2a8b5af3d02681@mail.gmail.com>

Today is probably not a good day for me to comment on things related
to 'goobermint'.  I had two small items of business to take care of on
my one day off in the middle of training; 1 - call my health insurance
administrator (my company and I jointly pay for the insurance and
doctors and professionals are the "providers") over some issues with
Cora,  and 2 - call the IRS over a minor tax issue.  After getting
through the phone tree (1 minute) I got a very polite and competent
person on the phone from Blue Cross - total time invested was three
minutes and the issue was resolved.  The IRS phone tree put me on hold
for 50 minutes (FIFTY), the person who answered was clueless and put
me on hold for another 10 minutes, and then put me on hold for four
more times.  We had a total conversation of two minutes and nothing
was resolved in the end.  Yeah, I can't wait for my free government
run health care.

As some of you know, Fan and I made an offer on a condo in Destin, FL
that was accepted by the sellers but we're now waiting for approval
from the seller's bank (they're upside-down big time and the bank
controls the property but doesn't want to foreclose). The offer and
acceptance was 23 pages long.  When I sold real estate (all of one
month) in Arkansas in the late 70's, an offer and acceptance was a
single sheet of paper.  People either perform on contracts or they
don't.  Now comes this -

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27448.html

Why on earth some people believe that a select group of 'benevolent'
dictators will make their life better is beyond me.  Fan lived through
this nightmare of "Dear Leader knows best". We'll all get a taste of
it if this nonsense doesn't end soon.

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 12:31:10 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:31:10 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>

Ric,

Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
nothing".

Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
the others.

Brad

On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Good morning All,
>
> Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
>
> Rik
>
> ____________________________
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
> Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
> Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
>
> AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington want to
> sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
>
> The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
> <http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>
>
> Here?s the deal:
>
> This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
> was investigating
> Humana<http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/>for
> providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
> proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other Medicare
> Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat health
> ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
>
> Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating with
> their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
> Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
> takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting a
> health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely. Even
> as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150
> billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it stands
> to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors? medical
> care-with Democrats? full approval:
>
> * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the cuts to
> Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
> health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
> current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
>
> * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than most
> private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
> found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
> settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While many of
> these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the extra
> benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
> supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage plans
> be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of health
> care.
>
> * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP received
> more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
> Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct ?royalties
> and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6 million
> in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
>
> * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all AARP
> revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that in
> 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
> revenues.
>
> * The Bloomberg
> article<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg>-which
> highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little secret?-profiled
> seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above market
> price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
> power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
> unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another disillusioned
> senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had a
> ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
> commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when he
> arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of the
> marble-covered atrium.
>
> * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare Advantage
> plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in medical
> claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement. In
> other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20 cents
> more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
> Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
>
> The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s increasing
> dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence why AARP
> would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase their
> ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
>
> A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
> reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10 million
> middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced, and
> seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of the
> heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program sponsored
> by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement is a
> huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required to
> disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage
> plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program. These
> plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
> beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is not
> seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare Advantage
> plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates for
> beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need for
> hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
> improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but also
> achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
> (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in rural
> counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively low.
> The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in Medicare
> Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and likely
> limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare Advantage
> program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
> geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to establish
> payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the inadequacy of
> existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
>
> Philip Klein at the American
> Spectator<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin>asked
> the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
> ?scare tractics? in response.
>
> Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:
>
> Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
>
> And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises again:
> ?Do you work for us or do we work for
> you??<http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 13:01:06 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:01:06 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Question for Brad about Palin speech
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909230848q757476f6sbf6051e5af3ead7b@mail.gmail.com>
References: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909230840i5386f075t2909eabd40f471b6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230848q757476f6sbf6051e5af3ead7b@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909231001r1068bbb6v69eae1e9ed089d37@mail.gmail.com>

Ed,

More from the AP (below). Note the last comment from a DEM strategist.
 One of the things I liked about Palin from the get-go was that she
blew her own party in Alaska apart first.  The DEMs loved her until
she gained national recognition.  I say, turn her loose on the
national GOP -  it is a "target rich environment".  Main Street loves
Sarah - K Street hates her regardless of party affiliation. Assholes
like the last commentator represent the views of the 40% who
contribute nothing and believe in the "free lunch".  I'm betting my
two favorite Democrats, Evan Byah (IN) and Gene Taylor (MS) have a
different view.

You Go Girl!

Brad

-----------------

Palin emerges in Asia with speech to investors

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ (AP) ? 8 hours ago

HONG KONG ? Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin,
criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, emerged in Asia
on Wednesday to share her views from "Main Street U.S.A" with a group
of high-flying global investors.

In her first trip to the region, the former Alaska governor addressed
an annual conference of investors in Hong Kong in what was billed as a
wide-ranging talk about governance, economics and U.S and Asian
affairs.

"I'm going to call it like I see it and I will share with you candidly
a view right from Main Street, Main Street U.S.A.," Palin told a room
full of asset managers and other finance professionals, according to a
video of part of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. "And how
perhaps my view of Main Street ... how that affects you and your
business."

It marked Palin's first major appearance since she resigned as
governor in July, and the speech's location and international scope
could help boost her credentials ahead of a possible bid for president
in 2012. While she's thought to be considering that, her Hong Kong
trip bore no political overtones, said Fred Malek, a friend and Palin
adviser.

"You can read a lot of things into it, 'Is she trying to burnish her
foreign policy credentials?' and the like. But really, it's a trip
that will be beneficial to her knowledge base and will defray some
legal and other bills that she has," Malek said.

Palin left office in part because of the toll of multiple ethics
complaints filed against her. Almost all of the complaints were
dismissed, but she says she amassed more than $500,000 in legal fees.

Palin started off her keynote ? which was closed to reporters ? with a
light talk about the links between her state and the southern Chinese
territory, then touched later on economic issues and China.

One attendee said she called on China to be a more responsible global
citizen, allow greater freedoms and take a more active role in solving
pressing world issues.

She also criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve's massive intervention in
the economy over the last year, arguing its actions only exacerbated
the crisis, according to another attendee. She also praised the
conservative economic policies of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan
and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Earlier, she talked of Alaska's salmon exports and complimented Hong
Kong as a "beautiful city," according to a third attendee. All three
people spoke on condition of anonymity, because they did not want to
be seen as speaking on behalf of their companies.

Former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and
former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan have spoken in the past
at the conference, hosted by brokerage and investment group CLSA
Asia-Pacific Markets.

"She was chosen because she's a woman of news value and presents an
opinion that we feel would be of value to our fund managers," said
CLSA spokeswoman Simone Wheeler.

Palin, who burst on the U.S. political scene last year when she was
chosen as Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate, was ridiculed
during the campaign after contending her state's proximity to Russia
gave her foreign policy experience.

"You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," she said.

Palin received her first passport in 2007, to visit Alaska National
Guard members serving in Kuwait and Germany.

Since leaving office, Palin has vanished from public view, ducking
mainstream news outlets and communicating with supporters largely via
her popular Facebook page.

She also signed with the prestigious Washington Speakers Bureau and
reportedly has been flooded with over a thousand offers.

Palin aides refused to disclose her fee for the appearance, which has
been rumored to be in the low six figures.

CLSA requested Palin's speech be closed to reporters so she could make
an "unfettered" presentation to investors, according to spokeswoman
Wheeler. And Palin, whose supporters have long accused the media of
bias and harsh treatment, agreed.

Hari Sevugan, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said
Tuesday the group knew little about Palin's speech.

"We're curious as to what she's willing to say in private but not in
public," Sevugan said. "Are there other countries that she can see
from her window that she doesn't want us to know about?"

AP reporters Min Lee in Hong Kong, Beth Fouhy in New York and Matthew
Daly in Washington contributed to this report.

On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ed,
>
> Here's more WSJ coverage (below).  I'm not a big Ron Paul fan, I know
> Ric is, but I do agree with Dr. Paul with some of his views on the
> Fed.
>
> Brad
>
> --------------
>
>
>
>     * September 23, 2009, 8:46 AM ET
>
> Palin, Sounding Like Ron Paul, Takes on the Fed
>
> Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fired a shot at the Federal Reserve in
> her coming-out speech in Hong Kong today, blaming the central bank for
> the current crisis and disagreeing with the idea that the Fed should
> have a greater role in preventing the next crisis. It was an echo of
> fellow Republican and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has led the
> charge in Congress to perform an audit of the Federal Reserve with an
> eye to eventually eliminating it.
> Sarah Palin addresses Asian investors. (Associated Press)
>
> ?How can we discuss reform without addressing the government policies
> at the root of the problems? The root of the collapse? And how can we
> think that setting up the Fed as the monitor of systemic risk in the
> financial sector will result in meaningful reform?? she said. ?The
> words ?fox? and ?henhouse? come to mind. The Fed?s decisions helped
> create the bubble. Look at the root cause of most asset bubbles, and
> you?ll see the Fed somewhere in the background.?
>
> More generally, Mrs. Palin took the tack that the financial crisis
> occurred because government got in the way of free enterprise.
>
> ?Lack of government wasn?t the problem, government policies were the
> problem. The marketplace didn?t fail. It became exactly as common
> sense would expect it to,? she said. ?The government ordered the
> loosening of lending standards. The Federal Reserve kept interest
> rates low. The government forced lending institutions to give loans to
> people who as I say, couldn?t afford them. Speculators spotted new
> investment vehicles, jumped on board and rating agencies
> underestimated risks. So many to be blamed on so many different
> levels, but the fact remains that these people were responding to a
> market solution created by government policies that ran contrary to
> common sense,? she said.
>
> On the question of more complex economic issues, Mrs. Palin told the
> hall filled with bankers and economists, that would come later.
>
> ?Maybe you?re hoping to hear me discuss the derivations of the formula
> for effective rate of protection, followed by a brief discussion of
> the monetary approach to the balance of payments,? she said. ?If time
> allows, a quick summary of factor price equalization. Maybe some
> thoughts on quantitative easing, but that?s for next time. Because I
> have spent my life closer to Main Street. That?s what I want to talk
> about is that view from Main Street,? she said.
>
>
> On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Ed,
>>
>> Not that I'm aware of, the speech was given just a few hours ago.
>> Below is the WSJ coverage. If you've ever watched Palin's interview
>> with Charlie Rose you will understand why I was rooting for her long
>> before anyone had ever heard of her.  The woman is smart and is has a
>> highly tuned BS detector. Will she run for POTUS in 2012 and be
>> successful?  Who knows.  I'm glad she's able to provide for her family
>> and secure their financial future. Leaving the Guv's office was smart
>> planning for her - she had nothing to gain by hanging on and faced not
>> only personal financial ruin but a stalemated government for Alaskans.
>> The last time someone of her stature quit voluntarily in the middle of
>> a term was Andrew Jackson (he quit the US Senate twice) and after his
>> second resignation became POTUS in the next election cycle.  That's a
>> little trivia the "she's a quitter" crowd remain ignorant of or silent
>> about by choice.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> ---------------
>>
>>     * SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, 10:41 A.M. ET
>>
>> Palin Addresses Asian Investors
>> Former Governor Touches on Budget Deficit, Health Care and China
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> By JONATHAN CHENG and ALEX FRANGOS
>>
>> HONG KONG -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her
>> first public-speaking engagement outside North America, blamed the
>> world financial crisis on government excesses and called for a new
>> round of deregulation and tax cuts for U.S. businesses.
>>
>> "We got into this mess because of government interference in the first
>> place," the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate said
>> Wednesday at a conference sponsored by investment firm CLSA
>> Asia-Pacific Markets. "We're not interested in government fixes, we're
>> interested in freedom," she added.
>>
>>
>>
>> On the foreign-policy front, she told the room full of bankers and
>> executives of the importance of the global fight against terrorism and
>> of finding ways to engage China as a global power. She said China
>> "rightfully makes a lot of people nervous."
>>
>> Her speech marks an effort to reach out to an international audience
>> and define her political identity since resigning from office earlier
>> this year. Mrs. Palin is among a handful of high-profile Republicans
>> seeking a path back to power for a party that lost control of both
>> houses of Congress and White House in last year's U.S. elections.
>>
>> Mrs. Palin's address was officially closed to the media. The Wall
>> Street Journal reviewed a recording of the speech.
>>
>> In the wide-ranging address, Mrs. Palin touched on the rising U.S.
>> budget deficit, the debate over a proposed health-care overhaul, the
>> war in Afghanistan and China's role in world affairs.
>> More
>>
>>     * Real Time Econ: Palin Sounds Like Ron Paul
>>     * Washwire: Palin's Bridge to Hong Kong
>>
>> She described her political philosophy as a "common-sense
>> conservatism," and said the free-market policies of Ronald Reagan and
>> Margaret Thatcher should be guides for how to get out of the current
>> economic situation. "Liberalism holds that there is no human problem
>> that government can't fix if only the right people are put in charge,"
>> she said.
>>
>> Mrs. Palin didn't refer to President Barack Obama by name, but said
>> his promise for change during the election hasn't taken hold. She
>> called his campaign promises "nebulous, utopian sounding?Now 10 months
>> later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that
>> the change we want?"
>>
>> In an echo of last year's presidential campaign, she criticized
>> government policies that result in what she called a redistribution of
>> wealth. "There is no justice in taking from one person and giving to
>> another," she said. "History shows it simply does not work."
>>
>> Mrs. Palin blamed the U.S. Federal Reserve's low interest-rate policy
>> of previous years for setting the stage for last year's global
>> financial crisis. She opposed appointing the Fed as the chief overseer
>> of systemic risk in the U.S. financial system. "The words 'fox' and
>> 'henhouse' come to mind. The Fed's decisions have created the bubble,"
>> she said.
>>
>> She called for tax cuts as well as the elimination of the capital
>> gains and estate tax. Then, she said, the world will "watch the U.S.
>> economy roar back to life."
>>
>> On health care, Mrs. Palin defended her previous criticisms that the
>> health-care overhaul proposed by Democrats would lead to health-care
>> rationing and what she called "death panels." "It's just common sense
>> that government attempts to solve problems like health care problem
>> will just create new problems." She called for "market friendly"
>> health care reform that gives tax breaks to individuals to buy health
>> insurance.
>> [Sarah Palin] Associated Press
>>
>> Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended the 16th
>> annual CLSA Investors' Forum in Hong Kong Wednesday.
>>
>> She acknowledged the economic rise of both China and India but called
>> for a vision of Asia in which no one country would dominate.
>>
>> "We all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful and
>> prosperous," she said. But she added that the U.S. must work with
>> Asian allies in case "China goes in a different direction."
>>
>> She said greater political openness in China could help soothe
>> tensions. "Many believed that with China liberalizing its economy,
>> greater political freedom would follow, but that hasn't happened," she
>> said. "The more open [China] is, the less we'll be concerned about its
>> military buildup and its intentions."
>>
>> On U.S.-China trade relations, Mrs. Palin called for more openness and
>> warned against protectionism. We need China to improve its rule of
>> law, and protect our intellectual property," she said. "On our part,
>> we should be more open to Chinese investment where our national
>> security interests are not threatened."
>>
>> She talked about the recent protests of ethnic minority Muslim
>> Uighurs, Chinese labor conditions, and Tibet. Mrs. Palin mentioned
>> Charter 08, a document signed by prominent academics and dissidents
>> calling for greater democracy and openness in China.
>>
>> In other areas, she criticized Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
>> for speaking skeptically about the need for more troops in
>> Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and
>> if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will find a safe haven there
>> again," she said.
>>
>> Mrs. Palin warmed up the crowd with her impressions of Hong Kong, one
>> of the densest urban areas in the world. "The wildlife-to-human ratio
>> is different from Alaska, but I could get used to it," she said.
>>
>> She also spoke about how Alaska once shared a land bridge with Asia.
>> And she noted that her husband's Eskimo ancestors crossed that bridge.
>> "To consider that connection that allowed sharing of peoples and
>> bloodlines and wildlife and flora and fauna, that connection to me is
>> quite fascinating," she said.
>>
>> Write to Jonathan Cheng at jonathan.cheng at wsj.com and Alex Frangos at
>> alex.frangos at wsj.com
>>
>> On 9/23/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>>> Brad,
>>>
>>> Is there any documentation to the speech?
>>>
>>> Ed K
>>>
>>
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 13:20:25 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:20:25 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Question for Brad about Palin speech
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909231001r1068bbb6v69eae1e9ed089d37@mail.gmail.com>
References: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909230840i5386f075t2909eabd40f471b6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230848q757476f6sbf6051e5af3ead7b@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909231001r1068bbb6v69eae1e9ed089d37@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909231020o4caa43fdlda5139c8d34eb0fc@mail.gmail.com>

Brad, Ed,

"Are there other countries that she can see from her window that she doesn't
want us to know about?"

Unbelievable!!!.. What a MORON!!

Rik



On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ed,
>
> More from the AP (below). Note the last comment from a DEM strategist.
>  One of the things I liked about Palin from the get-go was that she
> blew her own party in Alaska apart first.  The DEMs loved her until
> she gained national recognition.  I say, turn her loose on the
> national GOP -  it is a "target rich environment".  Main Street loves
> Sarah - K Street hates her regardless of party affiliation. Assholes
> like the last commentator represent the views of the 40% who
> contribute nothing and believe in the "free lunch".  I'm betting my
> two favorite Democrats, Evan Byah (IN) and Gene Taylor (MS) have a
> different view.
>
> You Go Girl!
>
> Brad
>
> -----------------
>
> Palin emerges in Asia with speech to investors
>
> By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ (AP) ? 8 hours ago
>
> HONG KONG ? Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin,
> criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, emerged in Asia
> on Wednesday to share her views from "Main Street U.S.A" with a group
> of high-flying global investors.
>
> In her first trip to the region, the former Alaska governor addressed
> an annual conference of investors in Hong Kong in what was billed as a
> wide-ranging talk about governance, economics and U.S and Asian
> affairs.
>
> "I'm going to call it like I see it and I will share with you candidly
> a view right from Main Street, Main Street U.S.A.," Palin told a room
> full of asset managers and other finance professionals, according to a
> video of part of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. "And how
> perhaps my view of Main Street ... how that affects you and your
> business."
>
> It marked Palin's first major appearance since she resigned as
> governor in July, and the speech's location and international scope
> could help boost her credentials ahead of a possible bid for president
> in 2012. While she's thought to be considering that, her Hong Kong
> trip bore no political overtones, said Fred Malek, a friend and Palin
> adviser.
>
> "You can read a lot of things into it, 'Is she trying to burnish her
> foreign policy credentials?' and the like. But really, it's a trip
> that will be beneficial to her knowledge base and will defray some
> legal and other bills that she has," Malek said.
>
> Palin left office in part because of the toll of multiple ethics
> complaints filed against her. Almost all of the complaints were
> dismissed, but she says she amassed more than $500,000 in legal fees.
>
> Palin started off her keynote ? which was closed to reporters ? with a
> light talk about the links between her state and the southern Chinese
> territory, then touched later on economic issues and China.
>
> One attendee said she called on China to be a more responsible global
> citizen, allow greater freedoms and take a more active role in solving
> pressing world issues.
>
> She also criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve's massive intervention in
> the economy over the last year, arguing its actions only exacerbated
> the crisis, according to another attendee. She also praised the
> conservative economic policies of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan
> and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
>
> Earlier, she talked of Alaska's salmon exports and complimented Hong
> Kong as a "beautiful city," according to a third attendee. All three
> people spoke on condition of anonymity, because they did not want to
> be seen as speaking on behalf of their companies.
>
> Former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and
> former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan have spoken in the past
> at the conference, hosted by brokerage and investment group CLSA
> Asia-Pacific Markets.
>
> "She was chosen because she's a woman of news value and presents an
> opinion that we feel would be of value to our fund managers," said
> CLSA spokeswoman Simone Wheeler.
>
> Palin, who burst on the U.S. political scene last year when she was
> chosen as Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate, was ridiculed
> during the campaign after contending her state's proximity to Russia
> gave her foreign policy experience.
>
> "You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," she said.
>
> Palin received her first passport in 2007, to visit Alaska National
> Guard members serving in Kuwait and Germany.
>
> Since leaving office, Palin has vanished from public view, ducking
> mainstream news outlets and communicating with supporters largely via
> her popular Facebook page.
>
> She also signed with the prestigious Washington Speakers Bureau and
> reportedly has been flooded with over a thousand offers.
>
> Palin aides refused to disclose her fee for the appearance, which has
> been rumored to be in the low six figures.
>
> CLSA requested Palin's speech be closed to reporters so she could make
> an "unfettered" presentation to investors, according to spokeswoman
> Wheeler. And Palin, whose supporters have long accused the media of
> bias and harsh treatment, agreed.
>
> Hari Sevugan, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said
> Tuesday the group knew little about Palin's speech.
>
> "We're curious as to what she's willing to say in private but not in
> public," Sevugan said. "Are there other countries that she can see
> from her window that she doesn't want us to know about?"
>
> AP reporters Min Lee in Hong Kong, Beth Fouhy in New York and Matthew
> Daly in Washington contributed to this report.
>
> On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Ed,
> >
> > Here's more WSJ coverage (below).  I'm not a big Ron Paul fan, I know
> > Ric is, but I do agree with Dr. Paul with some of his views on the
> > Fed.
> >
> > Brad
> >
> > --------------
> >
> >
> >
> >     * September 23, 2009, 8:46 AM ET
> >
> > Palin, Sounding Like Ron Paul, Takes on the Fed
> >
> > Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fired a shot at the Federal Reserve in
> > her coming-out speech in Hong Kong today, blaming the central bank for
> > the current crisis and disagreeing with the idea that the Fed should
> > have a greater role in preventing the next crisis. It was an echo of
> > fellow Republican and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has led the
> > charge in Congress to perform an audit of the Federal Reserve with an
> > eye to eventually eliminating it.
> > Sarah Palin addresses Asian investors. (Associated Press)
> >
> > ?How can we discuss reform without addressing the government policies
> > at the root of the problems? The root of the collapse? And how can we
> > think that setting up the Fed as the monitor of systemic risk in the
> > financial sector will result in meaningful reform?? she said. ?The
> > words ?fox? and ?henhouse? come to mind. The Fed?s decisions helped
> > create the bubble. Look at the root cause of most asset bubbles, and
> > you?ll see the Fed somewhere in the background.?
> >
> > More generally, Mrs. Palin took the tack that the financial crisis
> > occurred because government got in the way of free enterprise.
> >
> > ?Lack of government wasn?t the problem, government policies were the
> > problem. The marketplace didn?t fail. It became exactly as common
> > sense would expect it to,? she said. ?The government ordered the
> > loosening of lending standards. The Federal Reserve kept interest
> > rates low. The government forced lending institutions to give loans to
> > people who as I say, couldn?t afford them. Speculators spotted new
> > investment vehicles, jumped on board and rating agencies
> > underestimated risks. So many to be blamed on so many different
> > levels, but the fact remains that these people were responding to a
> > market solution created by government policies that ran contrary to
> > common sense,? she said.
> >
> > On the question of more complex economic issues, Mrs. Palin told the
> > hall filled with bankers and economists, that would come later.
> >
> > ?Maybe you?re hoping to hear me discuss the derivations of the formula
> > for effective rate of protection, followed by a brief discussion of
> > the monetary approach to the balance of payments,? she said. ?If time
> > allows, a quick summary of factor price equalization. Maybe some
> > thoughts on quantitative easing, but that?s for next time. Because I
> > have spent my life closer to Main Street. That?s what I want to talk
> > about is that view from Main Street,? she said.
> >
> >
> > On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Ed,
> >>
> >> Not that I'm aware of, the speech was given just a few hours ago.
> >> Below is the WSJ coverage. If you've ever watched Palin's interview
> >> with Charlie Rose you will understand why I was rooting for her long
> >> before anyone had ever heard of her.  The woman is smart and is has a
> >> highly tuned BS detector. Will she run for POTUS in 2012 and be
> >> successful?  Who knows.  I'm glad she's able to provide for her family
> >> and secure their financial future. Leaving the Guv's office was smart
> >> planning for her - she had nothing to gain by hanging on and faced not
> >> only personal financial ruin but a stalemated government for Alaskans.
> >> The last time someone of her stature quit voluntarily in the middle of
> >> a term was Andrew Jackson (he quit the US Senate twice) and after his
> >> second resignation became POTUS in the next election cycle.  That's a
> >> little trivia the "she's a quitter" crowd remain ignorant of or silent
> >> about by choice.
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> ---------------
> >>
> >>     * SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, 10:41 A.M. ET
> >>
> >> Palin Addresses Asian Investors
> >> Former Governor Touches on Budget Deficit, Health Care and China
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> By JONATHAN CHENG and ALEX FRANGOS
> >>
> >> HONG KONG -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her
> >> first public-speaking engagement outside North America, blamed the
> >> world financial crisis on government excesses and called for a new
> >> round of deregulation and tax cuts for U.S. businesses.
> >>
> >> "We got into this mess because of government interference in the first
> >> place," the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate said
> >> Wednesday at a conference sponsored by investment firm CLSA
> >> Asia-Pacific Markets. "We're not interested in government fixes, we're
> >> interested in freedom," she added.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On the foreign-policy front, she told the room full of bankers and
> >> executives of the importance of the global fight against terrorism and
> >> of finding ways to engage China as a global power. She said China
> >> "rightfully makes a lot of people nervous."
> >>
> >> Her speech marks an effort to reach out to an international audience
> >> and define her political identity since resigning from office earlier
> >> this year. Mrs. Palin is among a handful of high-profile Republicans
> >> seeking a path back to power for a party that lost control of both
> >> houses of Congress and White House in last year's U.S. elections.
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin's address was officially closed to the media. The Wall
> >> Street Journal reviewed a recording of the speech.
> >>
> >> In the wide-ranging address, Mrs. Palin touched on the rising U.S.
> >> budget deficit, the debate over a proposed health-care overhaul, the
> >> war in Afghanistan and China's role in world affairs.
> >> More
> >>
> >>     * Real Time Econ: Palin Sounds Like Ron Paul
> >>     * Washwire: Palin's Bridge to Hong Kong
> >>
> >> She described her political philosophy as a "common-sense
> >> conservatism," and said the free-market policies of Ronald Reagan and
> >> Margaret Thatcher should be guides for how to get out of the current
> >> economic situation. "Liberalism holds that there is no human problem
> >> that government can't fix if only the right people are put in charge,"
> >> she said.
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin didn't refer to President Barack Obama by name, but said
> >> his promise for change during the election hasn't taken hold. She
> >> called his campaign promises "nebulous, utopian sounding?Now 10 months
> >> later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that
> >> the change we want?"
> >>
> >> In an echo of last year's presidential campaign, she criticized
> >> government policies that result in what she called a redistribution of
> >> wealth. "There is no justice in taking from one person and giving to
> >> another," she said. "History shows it simply does not work."
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin blamed the U.S. Federal Reserve's low interest-rate policy
> >> of previous years for setting the stage for last year's global
> >> financial crisis. She opposed appointing the Fed as the chief overseer
> >> of systemic risk in the U.S. financial system. "The words 'fox' and
> >> 'henhouse' come to mind. The Fed's decisions have created the bubble,"
> >> she said.
> >>
> >> She called for tax cuts as well as the elimination of the capital
> >> gains and estate tax. Then, she said, the world will "watch the U.S.
> >> economy roar back to life."
> >>
> >> On health care, Mrs. Palin defended her previous criticisms that the
> >> health-care overhaul proposed by Democrats would lead to health-care
> >> rationing and what she called "death panels." "It's just common sense
> >> that government attempts to solve problems like health care problem
> >> will just create new problems." She called for "market friendly"
> >> health care reform that gives tax breaks to individuals to buy health
> >> insurance.
> >> [Sarah Palin] Associated Press
> >>
> >> Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended the 16th
> >> annual CLSA Investors' Forum in Hong Kong Wednesday.
> >>
> >> She acknowledged the economic rise of both China and India but called
> >> for a vision of Asia in which no one country would dominate.
> >>
> >> "We all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful and
> >> prosperous," she said. But she added that the U.S. must work with
> >> Asian allies in case "China goes in a different direction."
> >>
> >> She said greater political openness in China could help soothe
> >> tensions. "Many believed that with China liberalizing its economy,
> >> greater political freedom would follow, but that hasn't happened," she
> >> said. "The more open [China] is, the less we'll be concerned about its
> >> military buildup and its intentions."
> >>
> >> On U.S.-China trade relations, Mrs. Palin called for more openness and
> >> warned against protectionism. We need China to improve its rule of
> >> law, and protect our intellectual property," she said. "On our part,
> >> we should be more open to Chinese investment where our national
> >> security interests are not threatened."
> >>
> >> She talked about the recent protests of ethnic minority Muslim
> >> Uighurs, Chinese labor conditions, and Tibet. Mrs. Palin mentioned
> >> Charter 08, a document signed by prominent academics and dissidents
> >> calling for greater democracy and openness in China.
> >>
> >> In other areas, she criticized Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
> >> for speaking skeptically about the need for more troops in
> >> Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and
> >> if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will find a safe haven there
> >> again," she said.
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin warmed up the crowd with her impressions of Hong Kong, one
> >> of the densest urban areas in the world. "The wildlife-to-human ratio
> >> is different from Alaska, but I could get used to it," she said.
> >>
> >> She also spoke about how Alaska once shared a land bridge with Asia.
> >> And she noted that her husband's Eskimo ancestors crossed that bridge.
> >> "To consider that connection that allowed sharing of peoples and
> >> bloodlines and wildlife and flora and fauna, that connection to me is
> >> quite fascinating," she said.
> >>
> >> Write to Jonathan Cheng at jonathan.cheng at wsj.com and Alex Frangos at
> >> alex.frangos at wsj.com
> >>
> >> On 9/23/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> >>> Brad,
> >>>
> >>> Is there any documentation to the speech?
> >>>
> >>> Ed K
> >>>
> >>
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 13:31:15 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:31:15 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Follow the money .... My on going mantra.

*A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax .....
no?

Rik

__________________________
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class

The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax
Hike<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>

By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09 @
11:59AM

President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the campaign
and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has come out in favor
of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle class who do are
uninsured.

During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President Obama
tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
confronted with a dictionary definition:

 STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's
Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on
persons or property for public purposes."

OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little
bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check
on the definition. I mean what...

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...

OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...

STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a
tax increase.

OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I'm
taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.

Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to
have an individual mandate or not, but...

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?

OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.

 Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in the
current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the Baucus
proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not maintaining
insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would be assessed through
the tax code and applied as an additional amount of Federal tax owed."

Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now everybody in
America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax
increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed analogy. Most
importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level, only
apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I don't
have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance mandate
would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States. Also,
people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax returns,
and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't effective, with
an estimated<http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121>13.8
percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
Insurance Research Council.

Obama also argued:

 You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in higher
premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if you
can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for that.
That's just piling on.

If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange,
you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done
everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but you've
just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get hit
by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that's...

 So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance will be
forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under the
Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do not
purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide subsidies to
lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of the
federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does not
obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490 would
face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the requirement
for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health insurance
policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption, premiums
would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or somewhere in
the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.

Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true that
some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and that
imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking into
account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend hundreds of
billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase insurance, then
that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing uncompensated
care.

In a prior article<http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for
our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
with a health insurance mandate:

 In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that increased
coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing subsidies for
citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange. As more
people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the state
$246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created as a
result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009 alone,
and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program saw
its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs declined
by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by nearly $2
billion in other areas.

 The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe those
who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side to this.
Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low health care
costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get sick. The
reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to force
insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way to do
that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really, this
isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people to
pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make premiums
more affordable for the sick.

I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about mandates
last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and still
can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate Obama
said<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics>during
a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're paying
a fine."


On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ric,
>
> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
> nothing".
>
> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
> the others.
>
> Brad
>
> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Good morning All,
> >
> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > ____________________________
> >
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
> >
> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington want
> to
> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
> >
> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
> > <http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping
> >
> >
> > Here?s the deal:
> >
> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
> > was investigating
> > Humana<
> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
> >for
> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
> Medicare
> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat health
> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
> >
> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating with
> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting a
> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely.
> Even
> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150
> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it
> stands
> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors? medical
> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
> >
> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the cuts
> to
> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
> >
> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than most
> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
> Commission
> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While many
> of
> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the
> extra
> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage
> plans
> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of health
> > care.
> >
> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP received
> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
> ?royalties
> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
> million
> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
> >
> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all AARP
> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that in
> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
> > revenues.
> >
> > * The Bloomberg
> > article<
> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
> >-which
> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
> secret?-profiled
> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above market
> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another disillusioned
> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had a
> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when he
> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of the
> > marble-covered atrium.
> >
> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare Advantage
> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in medical
> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement. In
> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20
> cents
> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
> >
> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
> increasing
> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence why
> AARP
> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase their
> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
> >
> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10 million
> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced,
> and
> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of
> the
> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
> sponsored
> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement is
> a
> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required to
> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
> Advantage
> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program. These
> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is
> not
> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
> Advantage
> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates for
> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need for
> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but also
> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in
> rural
> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively low.
> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in Medicare
> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and
> likely
> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare Advantage
> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to establish
> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the inadequacy
> of
> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
> >
> > Philip Klein at the American
> > Spectator<
> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin>asked
> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
> > ?scare tractics? in response.
> >
> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:
> >
> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
> >
> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises
> again:
> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
> > you??<
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 13:56:24 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:56:24 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909231056r21ba1626y6839d65b75b1fb7c@mail.gmail.com>

Ric,

Ah yes, excise taxes.  You don't need this to be explained to you
personally, but, I paid over $11,000 in excise taxes on the front-end
for the dump truck that I owned for all of nine months before it was
totaled.  Did I get any of that back?  So now, the POTUS is arguing
about what the "meaning of is, is" according to Merriam-Webster and
whether a tax is a tax, or whether you're just slightly pregnant.
People really are this stupid!  Here's the bottom line - 40% don't pay
shit.  Whatever "manna from heaven" lands in their plate doesn't cost
them a dime.  You only need 11% more 'useful idiots' and you've got
power for life.

We're at the tipping point.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending
on how you look at it) capital moves across borders at the speed of a
mouse click.

Got China?

Brad

On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> Follow the money .... My on going mantra.
>
> *A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax .....
> no?
>
> Rik
>
> __________________________
> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class
>
> The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax
> Hike<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>
>
> By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09 @
> 11:59AM
>
> President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the campaign
> and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has come out in favor
> of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle class who do are
> uninsured.
>
> During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President Obama
> tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
> confronted with a dictionary definition:
>
>  STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's
> Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on
> persons or property for public purposes."
>
> OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
> definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little
> bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check
> on the definition. I mean what...
>
> STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
>
> OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
>
> STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a
> tax increase.
>
> OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I'm
> taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
>
> Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to
> have an individual mandate or not, but...
>
> STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
>
> OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.
>
>  Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
> Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in the
> current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the Baucus
> proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not maintaining
> insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would be assessed through
> the tax code and applied as an additional amount of Federal tax owed."
>
> Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now everybody in
> America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax
> increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed analogy. Most
> importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level, only
> apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I don't
> have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance mandate
> would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States. Also,
> people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax returns,
> and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
> insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't effective, with
> an
> estimated<http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121>13.8
> percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
> Insurance Research Council.
>
> Obama also argued:
>
>  You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in higher
> premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if you
> can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for that.
> That's just piling on.
>
> If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange,
> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done
> everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but you've
> just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get hit
> by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that's...
>
>  So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance will be
> forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under the
> Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do not
> purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide subsidies to
> lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of the
> federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
> household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does not
> obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490 would
> face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the requirement
> for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health insurance
> policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption, premiums
> would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or somewhere in
> the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.
>
> Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true that
> some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and that
> imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking into
> account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
> eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend hundreds of
> billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase insurance, then
> that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing uncompensated
> care.
>
> In a prior
> article<http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for
> our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
> with a health insurance mandate:
>
>  In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that increased
> coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing subsidies for
> citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange. As more
> people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
> declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the state
> $246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created as a
> result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009 alone,
> and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program saw
> its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs declined
> by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by nearly $2
> billion in other areas.
>
>  The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe those
> who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side to this.
> Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low health care
> costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get sick. The
> reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to force
> insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way to do
> that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really, this
> isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people to
> pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make premiums
> more affordable for the sick.
>
> I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about mandates
> last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and still
> can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate Obama
> said<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics>during
> a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
> Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're paying
> a fine."
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ric,
>>
>> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
>> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
>> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
>> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
>> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
>> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
>> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
>> nothing".
>>
>> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
>> the others.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Good morning All,
>> >
>> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > ____________________________
>> >
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
>> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
>> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
>> >
>> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington
>> > want
>> to
>> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
>> >
>> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
>> > <http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping
>> >
>> >
>> > Here?s the deal:
>> >
>> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
>> > was investigating
>> > Humana<
>> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
>> >for
>> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
>> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
>> Medicare
>> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat
>> > health
>> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
>> >
>> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating with
>> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
>> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
>> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting
>> > a
>> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely.
>> Even
>> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150
>> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it
>> stands
>> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors?
>> > medical
>> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
>> >
>> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the cuts
>> to
>> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
>> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
>> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
>> >
>> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than most
>> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
>> Commission
>> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
>> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While
>> > many
>> of
>> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the
>> extra
>> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
>> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage
>> plans
>> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of health
>> > care.
>> >
>> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP received
>> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
>> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
>> ?royalties
>> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
>> million
>> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
>> >
>> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all AARP
>> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that in
>> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
>> > revenues.
>> >
>> > * The Bloomberg
>> > article<
>> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
>> >-which
>> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
>> secret?-profiled
>> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above market
>> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
>> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
>> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another disillusioned
>> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had a
>> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
>> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when
>> > he
>> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of
>> > the
>> > marble-covered atrium.
>> >
>> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare
>> > Advantage
>> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in
>> > medical
>> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement.
>> > In
>> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20
>> cents
>> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
>> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
>> >
>> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
>> increasing
>> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence why
>> AARP
>> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase
>> > their
>> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
>> >
>> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
>> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10
>> > million
>> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced,
>> and
>> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of
>> the
>> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
>> sponsored
>> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement is
>> a
>> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required to
>> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
>> Advantage
>> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program. These
>> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
>> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is
>> not
>> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
>> Advantage
>> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates
>> > for
>> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need for
>> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
>> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but also
>> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
>> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in
>> rural
>> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively
>> > low.
>> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in
>> > Medicare
>> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and
>> likely
>> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare Advantage
>> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
>> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to establish
>> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the inadequacy
>> of
>> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
>> >
>> > Philip Klein at the American
>> > Spectator<
>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin>asked
>> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
>> > ?scare tractics? in response.
>> >
>> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:
>> >
>> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
>> >
>> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises
>> again:
>> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
>> > you??<
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 13:56:35 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:56:35 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909231056i3a2840c8x2f42709acd336fdf@mail.gmail.com>

Brad,

Obama says:

"If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange,
you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs,"

THIS is my whole problem with this plan. It does nothing to reduce or "drive
down" costs. It merely spreads them out. How long, at the rate we're going
is it before prices have risen to the point were, even all together we can't
afford them???

Why is it SO hard to see that this is a complete waste of time???

We could easily lower the cost and actually have true reform of health care
with a few simple two page laws that would allow tax deductions for
privately owned insurance policy costs. Promote higher deductible policies
w/HSAs. Stop state mandated coverage. Allow insurance companies to operate
across state lines .... All very simple stuff.

But no, that's not good enough for our POTUS. He wants to take very special
care of us .... himself ! ! !

Thank you for your kind consideration Mr. President, BUT I"M NOT IN THE
LEAST INTERESTED IN YOUR "HELP"!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Brad,
>
> Follow the money .... My on going mantra.
>
> *A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax
> ..... no?
>
> Rik
>
> __________________________
> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class
>
> The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax Hike<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>
>
> By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09 @
> 11:59AM
>
> President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the campaign
> and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has come out in favor
> of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle class who do are
> uninsured.
>
> During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President Obama
> tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
> confronted with a dictionary definition:
>
>  STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's
> Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on
> persons or property for public purposes."
>
> OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
> definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little
> bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check
> on the definition. I mean what...
>
> STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
>
> OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
>
> STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a
> tax increase.
>
> OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I'm
> taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
>
> Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to
> have an individual mandate or not, but...
>
> STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
>
> OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.
>
>  Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
> Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in the
> current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the Baucus
> proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not maintaining
> insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would be assessed through
> the tax code and applied as an additional amount of Federal tax owed."
>
> Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now everybody in
> America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax
> increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed analogy. Most
> importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level, only
> apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I don't
> have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance mandate
> would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States. Also,
> people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax returns,
> and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
> insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't effective, with
> an estimated<http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121>13.8 percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
> Insurance Research Council.
>
> Obama also argued:
>
>  You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in higher
> premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if you
> can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for that.
> That's just piling on.
>
> If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange,
> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done
> everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but you've
> just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get hit
> by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that's...
>
>  So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance will be
> forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under the
> Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do not
> purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide subsidies to
> lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of the
> federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
> household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does not
> obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490 would
> face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the requirement
> for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health insurance
> policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption, premiums
> would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or somewhere in
> the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.
>
> Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true that
> some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and that
> imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking into
> account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
> eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend hundreds of
> billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase insurance, then
> that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing uncompensated
> care.
>
> In a prior article<http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
> with a health insurance mandate:
>
>  In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that
> increased coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing subsidies
> for citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange. As more
> people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
> declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the state
> $246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created as a
> result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009 alone,
> and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program saw
> its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs declined
> by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by nearly $2
> billion in other areas.
>
>  The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe
> those who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side to
> this. Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low health
> care costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get sick.
> The reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to force
> insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way to do
> that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really, this
> isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people to
> pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make premiums
> more affordable for the sick.
>
> I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about mandates
> last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and still
> can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate Obama
> said<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics>during a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
> Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're paying
> a fine."
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ric,
>>
>> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
>> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
>> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
>> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
>> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
>> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
>> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
>> nothing".
>>
>> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
>> the others.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Good morning All,
>> >
>> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > ____________________________
>> >
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
>> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
>> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
>> >
>> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington
>> want to
>> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
>> >
>> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
>> > <
>> http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>
>> >
>> > Here?s the deal:
>> >
>> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
>> > was investigating
>> > Humana<
>> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
>> >for
>> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
>> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
>> Medicare
>> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat
>> health
>> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
>> >
>> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating with
>> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
>> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
>> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting
>> a
>> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely.
>> Even
>> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150
>> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it
>> stands
>> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors?
>> medical
>> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
>> >
>> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the cuts
>> to
>> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
>> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
>> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
>> >
>> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than most
>> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
>> Commission
>> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
>> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While
>> many of
>> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the
>> extra
>> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
>> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage
>> plans
>> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of health
>> > care.
>> >
>> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP received
>> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
>> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
>> ?royalties
>> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
>> million
>> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
>> >
>> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all AARP
>> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that in
>> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
>> > revenues.
>> >
>> > * The Bloomberg
>> > article<
>> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
>> >-which
>> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
>> secret?-profiled
>> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above market
>> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
>> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
>> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another disillusioned
>> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had a
>> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
>> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when
>> he
>> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of
>> the
>> > marble-covered atrium.
>> >
>> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare
>> Advantage
>> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in
>> medical
>> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement.
>> In
>> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20
>> cents
>> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
>> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
>> >
>> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
>> increasing
>> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence why
>> AARP
>> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase
>> their
>> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
>> >
>> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
>> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10
>> million
>> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced,
>> and
>> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of
>> the
>> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
>> sponsored
>> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement is
>> a
>> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required to
>> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
>> Advantage
>> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program. These
>> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
>> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is
>> not
>> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
>> Advantage
>> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates
>> for
>> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need for
>> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
>> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but also
>> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
>> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in
>> rural
>> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively
>> low.
>> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in
>> Medicare
>> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and
>> likely
>> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare Advantage
>> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
>> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to establish
>> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the inadequacy
>> of
>> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
>> >
>> > Philip Klein at the American
>> > Spectator<
>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin>asked
>> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
>> > ?scare tractics? in response.
>> >
>> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:
>> >
>> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
>> >
>> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises
>> again:
>> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
>> > you??<
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 15:46:13 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:46:13 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909231056i3a2840c8x2f42709acd336fdf@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231056i3a2840c8x2f42709acd336fdf@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909231246g3e695950mb46f60dad271f272@mail.gmail.com>

Can this get any more fantastic? ? ?

Hard to imagine that, being from Montana, Senator Baucus survives visits to
his home state.

Too long to paste, here's a link.

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/23/baucus-blunders

Rik

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Brad,
>
> Obama says:
>
> "If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange,
> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs,"
>
> THIS is my whole problem with this plan. It does nothing to reduce or
> "drive down" costs. It merely spreads them out. How long, at the rate we're
> going is it before prices have risen to the point were, even all together we
> can't afford them???
>
> Why is it SO hard to see that this is a complete waste of time???
>
> We could easily lower the cost and actually have true reform of health care
> with a few simple two page laws that would allow tax deductions for
> privately owned insurance policy costs. Promote higher deductible policies
> w/HSAs. Stop state mandated coverage. Allow insurance companies to operate
> across state lines .... All very simple stuff.
>
> But no, that's not good enough for our POTUS. He wants to take very special
> care of us .... himself ! ! !
>
> Thank you for your kind consideration Mr. President, BUT I"M NOT IN THE
> LEAST INTERESTED IN YOUR "HELP"!
>
> Rik
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Brad,
>>
>> Follow the money .... My on going mantra.
>>
>> *A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax
>> ..... no?
>>
>> Rik
>>
>> __________________________
>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class
>>
>> The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax Hike<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>
>>
>> By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09 @
>> 11:59AM
>>
>> President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the
>> campaign and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has come out
>> in favor of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle class
>> who do are uninsured.
>>
>> During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President Obama
>> tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
>> confronted with a dictionary definition:
>>
>>  STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's
>> Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on
>> persons or property for public purposes."
>>
>> OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
>> definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little
>> bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check
>> on the definition. I mean what...
>>
>> STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
>>
>> OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
>>
>> STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a
>> tax increase.
>>
>> OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that
>> I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
>>
>> Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to
>> have an individual mandate or not, but...
>>
>> STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
>>
>> OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.
>>
>>  Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
>> Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in the
>> current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the Baucus
>> proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not
>> maintaining insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would be
>> assessed through the tax code and applied as an additional amount of Federal
>> tax owed."
>>
>> Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now everybody
>> in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a
>> tax increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed analogy. Most
>> importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level, only
>> apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I don't
>> have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance mandate
>> would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States. Also,
>> people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax returns,
>> and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
>> insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't effective, with
>> an estimated<http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121>13.8 percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
>> Insurance Research Council.
>>
>> Obama also argued:
>>
>>  You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in higher
>> premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if you
>> can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for that.
>> That's just piling on.
>>
>> If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange,
>> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done
>> everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but you've
>> just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get hit
>> by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that's...
>>
>>  So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance will be
>> forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under the
>> Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do not
>> purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide subsidies to
>> lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of the
>> federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
>> household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does not
>> obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490 would
>> face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the requirement
>> for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health insurance
>> policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption, premiums
>> would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or somewhere in
>> the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.
>>
>> Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true that
>> some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and that
>> imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking into
>> account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
>> eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend hundreds of
>> billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase insurance, then
>> that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing uncompensated
>> care.
>>
>> In a prior article<http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
>> with a health insurance mandate:
>>
>>  In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that
>> increased coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing subsidies
>> for citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange. As more
>> people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
>> declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the state
>> $246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created as a
>> result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009 alone,
>> and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program saw
>> its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs declined
>> by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by nearly $2
>> billion in other areas.
>>
>>  The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe
>> those who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side to
>> this. Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low health
>> care costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get sick.
>> The reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to force
>> insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way to do
>> that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really, this
>> isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people to
>> pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make premiums
>> more affordable for the sick.
>>
>> I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about mandates
>> last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and still
>> can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate Obama
>> said<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics>during a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
>> Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're paying
>> a fine."
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Ric,
>>>
>>> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
>>> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
>>> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
>>> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
>>> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
>>> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
>>> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
>>> nothing".
>>>
>>> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
>>> the others.
>>>
>>> Brad
>>>
>>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Good morning All,
>>> >
>>> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
>>> >
>>> > Rik
>>> >
>>> > ____________________________
>>> >
>>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
>>> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
>>> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
>>> >
>>> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington
>>> want to
>>> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
>>> >
>>> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
>>> > <
>>> http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>
>>> >
>>> > Here?s the deal:
>>> >
>>> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
>>> > was investigating
>>> > Humana<
>>> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
>>> >for
>>> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
>>> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
>>> Medicare
>>> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat
>>> health
>>> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
>>> >
>>> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating
>>> with
>>> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
>>> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
>>> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting
>>> a
>>> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely.
>>> Even
>>> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than
>>> $150
>>> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it
>>> stands
>>> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors?
>>> medical
>>> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
>>> >
>>> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the
>>> cuts to
>>> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
>>> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
>>> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
>>> >
>>> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than
>>> most
>>> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
>>> Commission
>>> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
>>> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While
>>> many of
>>> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the
>>> extra
>>> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
>>> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage
>>> plans
>>> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of health
>>> > care.
>>> >
>>> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP
>>> received
>>> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
>>> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
>>> ?royalties
>>> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
>>> million
>>> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
>>> >
>>> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all AARP
>>> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that in
>>> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
>>> > revenues.
>>> >
>>> > * The Bloomberg
>>> > article<
>>> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
>>> >-which
>>> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
>>> secret?-profiled
>>> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above market
>>> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
>>> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
>>> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another disillusioned
>>> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had a
>>> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
>>> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when
>>> he
>>> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of
>>> the
>>> > marble-covered atrium.
>>> >
>>> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare
>>> Advantage
>>> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in
>>> medical
>>> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement.
>>> In
>>> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20
>>> cents
>>> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
>>> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
>>> >
>>> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
>>> increasing
>>> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence why
>>> AARP
>>> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase
>>> their
>>> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
>>> >
>>> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
>>> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10
>>> million
>>> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced,
>>> and
>>> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of
>>> the
>>> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
>>> sponsored
>>> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement
>>> is a
>>> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required
>>> to
>>> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
>>> Advantage
>>> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program. These
>>> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
>>> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is
>>> not
>>> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
>>> Advantage
>>> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates
>>> for
>>> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need for
>>> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
>>> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but
>>> also
>>> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
>>> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in
>>> rural
>>> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively
>>> low.
>>> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in
>>> Medicare
>>> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and
>>> likely
>>> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare Advantage
>>> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
>>> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to establish
>>> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the
>>> inadequacy of
>>> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
>>> >
>>> > Philip Klein at the American
>>> > Spectator<
>>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin
>>> >asked
>>> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
>>> > ?scare tractics? in response.
>>> >
>>> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:
>>> >
>>> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
>>> >
>>> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises
>>> again:
>>> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
>>> > you??<
>>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>>> it
>>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>>> >
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>>
>>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
>> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 17:04:57 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:04:57 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909231246g3e695950mb46f60dad271f272@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231056i3a2840c8x2f42709acd336fdf@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231246g3e695950mb46f60dad271f272@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909231404l1818fb8dx4fceef8c81647ba7@mail.gmail.com>

Ric,

Related - this news just in -

http://tinyurl.com/m57lkk

This is arrogance at its worst!  You peons aren't trustworthy with
information. We have all the answers.  Hell, if we can provide
'goobermint' health care for "free", why stop there?  Why not free car
insurance, homeowners, for chris' sake, throw in free housing! Every
successful communist country was able to provide all these things!

Brad



On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Can this get any more fantastic? ? ?
>
> Hard to imagine that, being from Montana, Senator Baucus survives visits to
> his home state.
>
> Too long to paste, here's a link.
>
> http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/23/baucus-blunders
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Brad,
>>
>> Obama says:
>>
>> "If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an
>> exchange,
>> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs,"
>>
>> THIS is my whole problem with this plan. It does nothing to reduce or
>> "drive down" costs. It merely spreads them out. How long, at the rate
>> we're
>> going is it before prices have risen to the point were, even all together
>> we
>> can't afford them???
>>
>> Why is it SO hard to see that this is a complete waste of time???
>>
>> We could easily lower the cost and actually have true reform of health
>> care
>> with a few simple two page laws that would allow tax deductions for
>> privately owned insurance policy costs. Promote higher deductible policies
>> w/HSAs. Stop state mandated coverage. Allow insurance companies to operate
>> across state lines .... All very simple stuff.
>>
>> But no, that's not good enough for our POTUS. He wants to take very
>> special
>> care of us .... himself ! ! !
>>
>> Thank you for your kind consideration Mr. President, BUT I"M NOT IN THE
>> LEAST INTERESTED IN YOUR "HELP"!
>>
>> Rik
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Eric Sandberg
>> <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Brad,
>>>
>>> Follow the money .... My on going mantra.
>>>
>>> *A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax
>>> ..... no?
>>>
>>> Rik
>>>
>>> __________________________
>>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class
>>>
>>> The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax
>>> Hike<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>
>>>
>>> By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09 @
>>> 11:59AM
>>>
>>> President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the
>>> campaign and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has come
>>> out
>>> in favor of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle class
>>> who do are uninsured.
>>>
>>> During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President Obama
>>> tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
>>> confronted with a dictionary definition:
>>>
>>>  STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's
>>> Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on
>>> persons or property for public purposes."
>>>
>>> OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
>>> definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a
>>> little
>>> bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to
>>> check
>>> on the definition. I mean what...
>>>
>>> STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
>>>
>>> OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
>>>
>>> STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is
>>> a
>>> tax increase.
>>>
>>> OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that
>>> I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
>>>
>>> Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to
>>> have an individual mandate or not, but...
>>>
>>> STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
>>>
>>> OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.
>>>
>>>  Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
>>> Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in the
>>> current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the Baucus
>>> proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not
>>> maintaining insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would be
>>> assessed through the tax code and applied as an additional amount of
>>> Federal
>>> tax owed."
>>>
>>> Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now everybody
>>> in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that
>>> a
>>> tax increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed analogy.
>>> Most
>>> importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level, only
>>> apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I
>>> don't
>>> have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance mandate
>>> would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States.
>>> Also,
>>> people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax
>>> returns,
>>> and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
>>> insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't effective,
>>> with
>>> an
>>> estimated<http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121>13.8
>>> percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
>>> Insurance Research Council.
>>>
>>> Obama also argued:
>>>
>>>  You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in higher
>>> premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if you
>>> can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for
>>> that.
>>> That's just piling on.
>>>
>>> If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an
>>> exchange,
>>> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done
>>> everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but
>>> you've
>>> just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get
>>> hit
>>> by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that's...
>>>
>>>  So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance will
>>> be
>>> forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under the
>>> Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do not
>>> purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide subsidies
>>> to
>>> lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of the
>>> federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
>>> household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does not
>>> obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490
>>> would
>>> face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the
>>> requirement
>>> for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health
>>> insurance
>>> policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption,
>>> premiums
>>> would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or somewhere
>>> in
>>> the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.
>>>
>>> Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true
>>> that
>>> some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and that
>>> imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking into
>>> account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
>>> eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend hundreds
>>> of
>>> billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase insurance,
>>> then
>>> that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing
>>> uncompensated
>>> care.
>>>
>>> In a prior
>>> article<http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for
>>> our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
>>> with a health insurance mandate:
>>>
>>>  In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that
>>> increased coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing
>>> subsidies
>>> for citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange. As
>>> more
>>> people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
>>> declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the
>>> state
>>> $246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created as a
>>> result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009
>>> alone,
>>> and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program
>>> saw
>>> its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs
>>> declined
>>> by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by nearly
>>> $2
>>> billion in other areas.
>>>
>>>  The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe
>>> those who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side to
>>> this. Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low
>>> health
>>> care costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get
>>> sick.
>>> The reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to
>>> force
>>> insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way to
>>> do
>>> that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really,
>>> this
>>> isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people to
>>> pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make premiums
>>> more affordable for the sick.
>>>
>>> I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about mandates
>>> last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and
>>> still
>>> can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate
>>> Obama
>>> said<http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics>during
>>> a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
>>> Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're
>>> paying
>>> a fine."
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ric,
>>>>
>>>> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
>>>> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
>>>> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
>>>> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
>>>> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
>>>> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
>>>> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
>>>> nothing".
>>>>
>>>> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
>>>> the others.
>>>>
>>>> Brad
>>>>
>>>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > Good morning All,
>>>> >
>>>> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
>>>> >
>>>> > Rik
>>>> >
>>>> > ____________________________
>>>> >
>>>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
>>>> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
>>>> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
>>>> >
>>>> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington
>>>> want to
>>>> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
>>>> >
>>>> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
>>>> > <
>>>> http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>
>>>> >
>>>> > Here?s the deal:
>>>> >
>>>> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it
>>>> > was investigating
>>>> > Humana<
>>>> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
>>>> >for
>>>> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
>>>> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
>>>> Medicare
>>>> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat
>>>> health
>>>> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
>>>> >
>>>> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating
>>>> with
>>>> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare
>>>> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats? government
>>>> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been
>>>> > supporting
>>>> a
>>>> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely.
>>>> Even
>>>> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than
>>>> $150
>>>> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that it
>>>> stands
>>>> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors?
>>>> medical
>>>> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
>>>> >
>>>> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the
>>>> cuts to
>>>> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover of
>>>> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose their
>>>> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
>>>> >
>>>> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than
>>>> most
>>>> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
>>>> Commission
>>>> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
>>>> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While
>>>> many of
>>>> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the
>>>> extra
>>>> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
>>>> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage
>>>> plans
>>>> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of
>>>> > health
>>>> > care.
>>>> >
>>>> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP
>>>> received
>>>> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products like
>>>> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
>>>> ?royalties
>>>> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
>>>> million
>>>> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
>>>> >
>>>> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all
>>>> > AARP
>>>> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that
>>>> > in
>>>> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s total
>>>> > revenues.
>>>> >
>>>> > * The Bloomberg
>>>> > article<
>>>> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
>>>> >-which
>>>> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
>>>> secret?-profiled
>>>> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above
>>>> > market
>>>> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great buying
>>>> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
>>>> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another
>>>> > disillusioned
>>>> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP had
>>>> > a
>>>> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it receives
>>>> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and when
>>>> he
>>>> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out of
>>>> the
>>>> > marble-covered atrium.
>>>> >
>>>> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare
>>>> Advantage
>>>> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in
>>>> medical
>>>> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent requirement.
>>>> In
>>>> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as 20
>>>> cents
>>>> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to AARP-sponsored
>>>> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
>>>> >
>>>> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
>>>> increasing
>>>> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence
>>>> > why
>>>> AARP
>>>> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase
>>>> their
>>>> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
>>>> >
>>>> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a huge
>>>> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10
>>>> million
>>>> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is reduced,
>>>> and
>>>> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers of
>>>> the
>>>> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
>>>> sponsored
>>>> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare Supplement
>>>> is a
>>>> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be required
>>>> to
>>>> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
>>>> Advantage
>>>> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program.
>>>> > These
>>>> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
>>>> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases is
>>>> not
>>>> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
>>>> Advantage
>>>> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission rates
>>>> for
>>>> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need
>>>> > for
>>>> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
>>>> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but
>>>> also
>>>> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
>>>> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in
>>>> rural
>>>> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively
>>>> low.
>>>> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in
>>>> Medicare
>>>> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and
>>>> likely
>>>> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare
>>>> > Advantage
>>>> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the same
>>>> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to
>>>> > establish
>>>> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the
>>>> inadequacy of
>>>> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
>>>> >
>>>> > Philip Klein at the American
>>>> > Spectator<
>>>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin
>>>> >asked
>>>> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
>>>> > ?scare tractics? in response.
>>>> >
>>>> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about this:
>>>> >
>>>> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
>>>> >
>>>> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative arises
>>>> again:
>>>> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
>>>> > you??<
>>>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
>>>> > fire,
>>>> it
>>>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>>>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>>>
>>>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>>> it
>>> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
>> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 17:23:23 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:23:23 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Question for Brad about Palin speech
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909231020o4caa43fdlda5139c8d34eb0fc@mail.gmail.com>
References: <A9E0BCCF0BF344A4AE4A9B791993A7E5@YOURB88038198E>
	<400985d70909230840i5386f075t2909eabd40f471b6@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230848q757476f6sbf6051e5af3ead7b@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909231001r1068bbb6v69eae1e9ed089d37@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231020o4caa43fdlda5139c8d34eb0fc@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909231423r362a3e80lb77c6f6528aba340@mail.gmail.com>

Update - WSJ releases some excerpts.  Brad

--------------



    * September 23, 2009, 1:45 PM ET

Excerpts of Sarah Palin?s Speech to Investors in Hong Kong

Alex Frangos reports from Hong Kong on Sarah Palin?s speech.

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and the 2008 GOP vice
presidential nominee, delivered her first major international speech
outside North America Wednesday in Hong Kong at an investor
conference. The speech was closed to the media, but The Wall Street
Journal reviewed a recording of the event. Here are some excerpts on
various topics, from death panels to Chinese human rights.

Sarah Palin, Hong Kong, CLSA Asia Pacific Markets Conference, Sept.
23, 2009 Speech Excerpts

U.S. DOMESTIC POLICY

On Conservatism:

You can call me a common-sense conservative. My approach to the issues
facing my country and the world, issues that we?ll discuss today, are
rooted in this common-sense conservatism? Common sense conservatism
deals with the reality of the world as it is. Complicated and
beautiful, tragic and hopeful, we believe in the rights and the
responsibilities and the inherent dignity of the individual.

We don?t believe that human nature is perfectible; we?re suspicious of
government efforts to fix problems because often what it?s trying to
fix is human nature, and that is impossible. It is what it is. But
that doesn?t mean that we?re resigned to, well, any negative destiny.
Not at all. I believe in striving for the ideal, but in realistic
confines of human nature?

On Liberalism:

The opposite of a common-sense conservative is a liberalism that holds
that there is no human problem that government can?t fix if only the
right people are put in charge. Unfortunately, history and common
sense are not on its side. We don?t trust utopian promises; we deal
with human nature as it is.

On what caused the financial crisis:

While we might be in the wilderness, conservatives need to defend the
free market system and explain what really caused last year?s
collapse. According to one version of the story, America?s economic
woes were caused by a lack of government intervention and regulation
and therefore the only way to fix the problem, because, of course,
every problem can be fixed by a politician, is for more bureaucracy to
impose itself further, deeper, forcing itself deeper into the private
sector.

I think that?s simply wrong. We got into this mess because of
government interference in the first place. The mortgage crisis that
led to the collapse of the financial market, it was rooted in a
good-natured, but wrongheaded, desire to increase home ownership among
those who couldn?t yet afford to own a home. In so many cases,
politicians on the right and the left, they wanted to take credit for
an increase in home ownership among those with lower incomes. But the
rules of the marketplace are not adaptable to the mere whims of
politicians.

?

Lack of government wasn?t the problem. Government policies were the
problem. The marketplace didn?t fail. It became exactly as common
sense would expect it to. The government ordered the loosening of
lending standards. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates low. The
government forced lending institutions to give loans to people who, as
I say, couldn?t afford them. Speculators spotted new investment
vehicles, jumped on board and rating agencies underestimated risks.

On Milton Friedman:

Now even Milton Friedman, he recognized that the free market is truly
free when there is a level playing field for all participants, and
good financial regulations aim to provide the transparency that we
need to ensure the level playing field does exist, but we need not, we
need to make sure that this regulatory reform that we?re talking about
is aimed at the problems on Wall Street and won?t attack Main Street.

On the Federal Reserve:

How can we discuss reform without addressing the government policies
at the root of the problems? The root of the collapse? And how can we
think that setting up the Fed as the monitor of systemic risk in the
financial sector will result in meaningful reform? The words ?fox? and
?hen house? come to mind. The Fed?s decisions helped create the
bubble. Look at the root cause of most asset bubbles, and you?ll see
the Fed somewhere in the background.

On deficits and Reaganism:

Common sense tells you that when you?re in a hole, you have to stop
digging! A common sense conservative looks to history to find
solutions to the problems confronting us, and the good news is that
history has shown us a way out of this, a way forward from recession.
Ronald Reagan, he was faced with an even worse recession, and he
showed us how to get out of here.

If you want real job growth, you cut taxes! And you reduce marginal
tax rates on all Americans. Cut payroll taxes, eliminate capital gain
taxes and slay the death tax, once and for all. Get federal spending
under control, and then you step back and you watch the U.S. economy
roar back to life. But it takes more courage for a politician to step
back and let the free market correct itself than it does to push
through panicky solutions or quick fixes?

I can?t wait until we get that Reaganomics sense supplied again
because we are going to survive, and we?re going to thrive and expand
and roar back to life. And as the world sees this, the world will be a
healthier, more secure, safer and more prosperous place when this
happens.

On greenhouse gas legislation:

It seems like some are looking to ever more ways that will actually
destroy economic opportunities today. Take for example, Washington?s
cap-and-trade scheme. I call it the ?cap-and-tax? scheme. Right now we
have the highest unemployment rate in 25 years, and it?s still rising.
And yet some in D.C. are pushing a cap-and-tax bill that could cripple
our energy industry or energy market and dramatically increase the
rates of the unemployed, and that?s not just in the energy sector.

American jobs in every industry will be threatened by the rising cost
of doing business under this cap-and-tax plan. The cost of farming
will certainly increase. That?s going to drive up the cost of
groceries and drive down farm incomes. The cost of manufacturing,
warehousing and transportation will also rise. We are all going to
feel the effects. The Americans hardest hit will be those who are
already struggling to make ends meet today, much less with this new
tax every month?

I am not indifferent to environmental concerns. Far from it. As
governor, I created a sub-cabinet to study the impacts of climate
change in my state. And I was the first governor to do so. It took us
in a new direction?

I?m a supporter of nuclear power and renewables. We can develop these
resources without destroying our economy. And we can help the
environment and our economy through energy independence.

On health care:

I seem to have acquired notoriety in national debate. And all because
of two words: death panels. And it is a serious term. It was intended
to sound a warning about the rationing that is sure to follow if big
government tries to simultaneously increase health care coverage while
also claiming to decrease costs. Government has just got to be honest
with the people about this?.

As I said, it?s just common sense to realize that government?s
attempts to solve large problems like the health-care challenges that
we have, more often create new ones, and a top down one size fits all
plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system
that accounts for some one-fifth of our economy.

Common sense also tells us that passing a trillion dollar new
retirement program, that?s not the way to reduce health-care spending.
Real health-care reform is market oriented, patient centered and
result driven. It would give all individuals the same tax benefit,
that an ideal plan that I would have in mind, same tax benefits as
those who get coverage through their employers. And give Medicare
recipients vouchers so that they can buy their own coverage. And
reform tort laws and change regulations to allow people to buy
insurance across state lines. Rather than another top down government
plan, we should give Americans themselves control over their own
health care with market friendly responsible ideas.

FOREIGN POLICY

On relations with China:

We engage with a hope that Beijing becomes a responsible stakeholder,
but we must take steps in the event that it goes in a different
direction. See, we all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful
and prosperous. Optimism that yes, it will be.

Asia is at its best when it is not dominated by a single power. In
seeking Asia?s continued peace and prosperity, we should seek, as we
did in Europe, an Asia whole and free. Free from domination by any one
power?

On China?s relations with Taiwan, and other controversial issues:

We simply cannot turn a blind eye to Chinese policies and actions that
could undermine international peace and security. Here, China has some
one thousand missiles aimed at Taiwan and no serious observer though
believes that it poses a serious threat to Beijing. Those same Chinese
forces make our friends in Japan and Australia kind of nervous.

China provides support for some of the most questionable regimes, from
Sudan to Burma to Zimbabwe. China?s military buildup, it raises
concern from Delhi to Tokyo because it?s taking place in the absence
of really any discernable threat to it. China, along with Russia, has
repeatedly undermined efforts to impose tougher sanctions on Iran for
its defiance of the international community in pursuing its nuclear
program. And the Chinese food and safety, uh food and product safety
record, of course it?s raised alarms from East Asia and Europe to the
U.S. and domestic instance of unrest. From the protest of Uighurs and
Tibetans to Chinese workers throughout the country rightfully makes a
lot of people nervous.

On human rights and democracy in China:

The more politically open and just China is, the more Chinese citizens
of every ethnic group will be able to settle disputes in court rather
than on the streets. The more open it is, the less we?ll be concerned
about its military buildup and its intentions. The more transparent
China is, the more likely it is that they will find a true and lasting
friendship based on shared values as well as interests. And I?m not
talking about a U.S.-led democracy crusade. [We?re] not going to
impose our values on other countries. We don?t seek to do that. But
the ideas of freedom and liberty and respect for human rights, it?s
not just a U.S. idea. They?re very much more than that. They?re
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and many other
international covenants and treaties.

On China-U.S. economic relations:

Our economic interdependence drives our relationship with China. I see
a future of more trade with China and more American high tech goods in
China. But in order for that to happen, we need China to improve its
rule of law, and protect our intellectual property. We need to avoid
protectionism and China?s flirtation with state assisted national
champions. On our part we should be more open to Chinese investment
where our national security interests are not threatened. In the end
though, our economic relationship will truly thrive when Chinese
citizens and foreign corporations can hold the Chinese government
accountable when their actions are unjust.


On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad, Ed,
>
> "Are there other countries that she can see from her window that she doesn't
> want us to know about?"
>
> Unbelievable!!!.. What a MORON!!
>
> Rik
>
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:01 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ed,
>>
>> More from the AP (below). Note the last comment from a DEM strategist.
>>  One of the things I liked about Palin from the get-go was that she
>> blew her own party in Alaska apart first.  The DEMs loved her until
>> she gained national recognition.  I say, turn her loose on the
>> national GOP -  it is a "target rich environment".  Main Street loves
>> Sarah - K Street hates her regardless of party affiliation. Assholes
>> like the last commentator represent the views of the 40% who
>> contribute nothing and believe in the "free lunch".  I'm betting my
>> two favorite Democrats, Evan Byah (IN) and Gene Taylor (MS) have a
>> different view.
>>
>> You Go Girl!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> -----------------
>>
>> Palin emerges in Asia with speech to investors
>>
>> By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ (AP) ? 8 hours ago
>>
>> HONG KONG ? Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin,
>> criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, emerged in Asia
>> on Wednesday to share her views from "Main Street U.S.A" with a group
>> of high-flying global investors.
>>
>> In her first trip to the region, the former Alaska governor addressed
>> an annual conference of investors in Hong Kong in what was billed as a
>> wide-ranging talk about governance, economics and U.S and Asian
>> affairs.
>>
>> "I'm going to call it like I see it and I will share with you candidly
>> a view right from Main Street, Main Street U.S.A.," Palin told a room
>> full of asset managers and other finance professionals, according to a
>> video of part of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. "And how
>> perhaps my view of Main Street ... how that affects you and your
>> business."
>>
>> It marked Palin's first major appearance since she resigned as
>> governor in July, and the speech's location and international scope
>> could help boost her credentials ahead of a possible bid for president
>> in 2012. While she's thought to be considering that, her Hong Kong
>> trip bore no political overtones, said Fred Malek, a friend and Palin
>> adviser.
>>
>> "You can read a lot of things into it, 'Is she trying to burnish her
>> foreign policy credentials?' and the like. But really, it's a trip
>> that will be beneficial to her knowledge base and will defray some
>> legal and other bills that she has," Malek said.
>>
>> Palin left office in part because of the toll of multiple ethics
>> complaints filed against her. Almost all of the complaints were
>> dismissed, but she says she amassed more than $500,000 in legal fees.
>>
>> Palin started off her keynote ? which was closed to reporters ? with a
>> light talk about the links between her state and the southern Chinese
>> territory, then touched later on economic issues and China.
>>
>> One attendee said she called on China to be a more responsible global
>> citizen, allow greater freedoms and take a more active role in solving
>> pressing world issues.
>>
>> She also criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve's massive intervention in
>> the economy over the last year, arguing its actions only exacerbated
>> the crisis, according to another attendee. She also praised the
>> conservative economic policies of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan
>> and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
>>
>> Earlier, she talked of Alaska's salmon exports and complimented Hong
>> Kong as a "beautiful city," according to a third attendee. All three
>> people spoke on condition of anonymity, because they did not want to
>> be seen as speaking on behalf of their companies.
>>
>> Former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and
>> former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan have spoken in the past
>> at the conference, hosted by brokerage and investment group CLSA
>> Asia-Pacific Markets.
>>
>> "She was chosen because she's a woman of news value and presents an
>> opinion that we feel would be of value to our fund managers," said
>> CLSA spokeswoman Simone Wheeler.
>>
>> Palin, who burst on the U.S. political scene last year when she was
>> chosen as Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate, was ridiculed
>> during the campaign after contending her state's proximity to Russia
>> gave her foreign policy experience.
>>
>> "You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," she said.
>>
>> Palin received her first passport in 2007, to visit Alaska National
>> Guard members serving in Kuwait and Germany.
>>
>> Since leaving office, Palin has vanished from public view, ducking
>> mainstream news outlets and communicating with supporters largely via
>> her popular Facebook page.
>>
>> She also signed with the prestigious Washington Speakers Bureau and
>> reportedly has been flooded with over a thousand offers.
>>
>> Palin aides refused to disclose her fee for the appearance, which has
>> been rumored to be in the low six figures.
>>
>> CLSA requested Palin's speech be closed to reporters so she could make
>> an "unfettered" presentation to investors, according to spokeswoman
>> Wheeler. And Palin, whose supporters have long accused the media of
>> bias and harsh treatment, agreed.
>>
>> Hari Sevugan, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said
>> Tuesday the group knew little about Palin's speech.
>>
>> "We're curious as to what she's willing to say in private but not in
>> public," Sevugan said. "Are there other countries that she can see
>> from her window that she doesn't want us to know about?"
>>
>> AP reporters Min Lee in Hong Kong, Beth Fouhy in New York and Matthew
>> Daly in Washington contributed to this report.
>>
>> On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Ed,
>> >
>> > Here's more WSJ coverage (below).  I'm not a big Ron Paul fan, I know
>> > Ric is, but I do agree with Dr. Paul with some of his views on the
>> > Fed.
>> >
>> > Brad
>> >
>> > --------------
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >     * September 23, 2009, 8:46 AM ET
>> >
>> > Palin, Sounding Like Ron Paul, Takes on the Fed
>> >
>> > Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fired a shot at the Federal Reserve in
>> > her coming-out speech in Hong Kong today, blaming the central bank for
>> > the current crisis and disagreeing with the idea that the Fed should
>> > have a greater role in preventing the next crisis. It was an echo of
>> > fellow Republican and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has led the
>> > charge in Congress to perform an audit of the Federal Reserve with an
>> > eye to eventually eliminating it.
>> > Sarah Palin addresses Asian investors. (Associated Press)
>> >
>> > ?How can we discuss reform without addressing the government policies
>> > at the root of the problems? The root of the collapse? And how can we
>> > think that setting up the Fed as the monitor of systemic risk in the
>> > financial sector will result in meaningful reform?? she said. ?The
>> > words ?fox? and ?henhouse? come to mind. The Fed?s decisions helped
>> > create the bubble. Look at the root cause of most asset bubbles, and
>> > you?ll see the Fed somewhere in the background.?
>> >
>> > More generally, Mrs. Palin took the tack that the financial crisis
>> > occurred because government got in the way of free enterprise.
>> >
>> > ?Lack of government wasn?t the problem, government policies were the
>> > problem. The marketplace didn?t fail. It became exactly as common
>> > sense would expect it to,? she said. ?The government ordered the
>> > loosening of lending standards. The Federal Reserve kept interest
>> > rates low. The government forced lending institutions to give loans to
>> > people who as I say, couldn?t afford them. Speculators spotted new
>> > investment vehicles, jumped on board and rating agencies
>> > underestimated risks. So many to be blamed on so many different
>> > levels, but the fact remains that these people were responding to a
>> > market solution created by government policies that ran contrary to
>> > common sense,? she said.
>> >
>> > On the question of more complex economic issues, Mrs. Palin told the
>> > hall filled with bankers and economists, that would come later.
>> >
>> > ?Maybe you?re hoping to hear me discuss the derivations of the formula
>> > for effective rate of protection, followed by a brief discussion of
>> > the monetary approach to the balance of payments,? she said. ?If time
>> > allows, a quick summary of factor price equalization. Maybe some
>> > thoughts on quantitative easing, but that?s for next time. Because I
>> > have spent my life closer to Main Street. That?s what I want to talk
>> > about is that view from Main Street,? she said.
>> >
>> >
>> > On 9/23/09, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> Ed,
>> >>
>> >> Not that I'm aware of, the speech was given just a few hours ago.
>> >> Below is the WSJ coverage. If you've ever watched Palin's interview
>> >> with Charlie Rose you will understand why I was rooting for her long
>> >> before anyone had ever heard of her.  The woman is smart and is has a
>> >> highly tuned BS detector. Will she run for POTUS in 2012 and be
>> >> successful?  Who knows.  I'm glad she's able to provide for her family
>> >> and secure their financial future. Leaving the Guv's office was smart
>> >> planning for her - she had nothing to gain by hanging on and faced not
>> >> only personal financial ruin but a stalemated government for Alaskans.
>> >> The last time someone of her stature quit voluntarily in the middle of
>> >> a term was Andrew Jackson (he quit the US Senate twice) and after his
>> >> second resignation became POTUS in the next election cycle.  That's a
>> >> little trivia the "she's a quitter" crowd remain ignorant of or silent
>> >> about by choice.
>> >>
>> >> Brad
>> >>
>> >> ---------------
>> >>
>> >>     * SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, 10:41 A.M. ET
>> >>
>> >> Palin Addresses Asian Investors
>> >> Former Governor Touches on Budget Deficit, Health Care and China
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> By JONATHAN CHENG and ALEX FRANGOS
>> >>
>> >> HONG KONG -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her
>> >> first public-speaking engagement outside North America, blamed the
>> >> world financial crisis on government excesses and called for a new
>> >> round of deregulation and tax cuts for U.S. businesses.
>> >>
>> >> "We got into this mess because of government interference in the first
>> >> place," the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate said
>> >> Wednesday at a conference sponsored by investment firm CLSA
>> >> Asia-Pacific Markets. "We're not interested in government fixes, we're
>> >> interested in freedom," she added.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On the foreign-policy front, she told the room full of bankers and
>> >> executives of the importance of the global fight against terrorism and
>> >> of finding ways to engage China as a global power. She said China
>> >> "rightfully makes a lot of people nervous."
>> >>
>> >> Her speech marks an effort to reach out to an international audience
>> >> and define her political identity since resigning from office earlier
>> >> this year. Mrs. Palin is among a handful of high-profile Republicans
>> >> seeking a path back to power for a party that lost control of both
>> >> houses of Congress and White House in last year's U.S. elections.
>> >>
>> >> Mrs. Palin's address was officially closed to the media. The Wall
>> >> Street Journal reviewed a recording of the speech.
>> >>
>> >> In the wide-ranging address, Mrs. Palin touched on the rising U.S.
>> >> budget deficit, the debate over a proposed health-care overhaul, the
>> >> war in Afghanistan and China's role in world affairs.
>> >> More
>> >>
>> >>     * Real Time Econ: Palin Sounds Like Ron Paul
>> >>     * Washwire: Palin's Bridge to Hong Kong
>> >>
>> >> She described her political philosophy as a "common-sense
>> >> conservatism," and said the free-market policies of Ronald Reagan and
>> >> Margaret Thatcher should be guides for how to get out of the current
>> >> economic situation. "Liberalism holds that there is no human problem
>> >> that government can't fix if only the right people are put in charge,"
>> >> she said.
>> >>
>> >> Mrs. Palin didn't refer to President Barack Obama by name, but said
>> >> his promise for change during the election hasn't taken hold. She
>> >> called his campaign promises "nebulous, utopian sounding?Now 10 months
>> >> later, though, a lot of Americans are asking: more government? Is that
>> >> the change we want?"
>> >>
>> >> In an echo of last year's presidential campaign, she criticized
>> >> government policies that result in what she called a redistribution of
>> >> wealth. "There is no justice in taking from one person and giving to
>> >> another," she said. "History shows it simply does not work."
>> >>
>> >> Mrs. Palin blamed the U.S. Federal Reserve's low interest-rate policy
>> >> of previous years for setting the stage for last year's global
>> >> financial crisis. She opposed appointing the Fed as the chief overseer
>> >> of systemic risk in the U.S. financial system. "The words 'fox' and
>> >> 'henhouse' come to mind. The Fed's decisions have created the bubble,"
>> >> she said.
>> >>
>> >> She called for tax cuts as well as the elimination of the capital
>> >> gains and estate tax. Then, she said, the world will "watch the U.S.
>> >> economy roar back to life."
>> >>
>> >> On health care, Mrs. Palin defended her previous criticisms that the
>> >> health-care overhaul proposed by Democrats would lead to health-care
>> >> rationing and what she called "death panels." "It's just common sense
>> >> that government attempts to solve problems like health care problem
>> >> will just create new problems." She called for "market friendly"
>> >> health care reform that gives tax breaks to individuals to buy health
>> >> insurance.
>> >> [Sarah Palin] Associated Press
>> >>
>> >> Former U.S. vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended the 16th
>> >> annual CLSA Investors' Forum in Hong Kong Wednesday.
>> >>
>> >> She acknowledged the economic rise of both China and India but called
>> >> for a vision of Asia in which no one country would dominate.
>> >>
>> >> "We all hope to see a China that is stable and peaceful and
>> >> prosperous," she said. But she added that the U.S. must work with
>> >> Asian allies in case "China goes in a different direction."
>> >>
>> >> She said greater political openness in China could help soothe
>> >> tensions. "Many believed that with China liberalizing its economy,
>> >> greater political freedom would follow, but that hasn't happened," she
>> >> said. "The more open [China] is, the less we'll be concerned about its
>> >> military buildup and its intentions."
>> >>
>> >> On U.S.-China trade relations, Mrs. Palin called for more openness and
>> >> warned against protectionism. We need China to improve its rule of
>> >> law, and protect our intellectual property," she said. "On our part,
>> >> we should be more open to Chinese investment where our national
>> >> security interests are not threatened."
>> >>
>> >> She talked about the recent protests of ethnic minority Muslim
>> >> Uighurs, Chinese labor conditions, and Tibet. Mrs. Palin mentioned
>> >> Charter 08, a document signed by prominent academics and dissidents
>> >> calling for greater democracy and openness in China.
>> >>
>> >> In other areas, she criticized Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
>> >> for speaking skeptically about the need for more troops in
>> >> Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and
>> >> if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will find a safe haven there
>> >> again," she said.
>> >>
>> >> Mrs. Palin warmed up the crowd with her impressions of Hong Kong, one
>> >> of the densest urban areas in the world. "The wildlife-to-human ratio
>> >> is different from Alaska, but I could get used to it," she said.
>> >>
>> >> She also spoke about how Alaska once shared a land bridge with Asia.
>> >> And she noted that her husband's Eskimo ancestors crossed that bridge.
>> >> "To consider that connection that allowed sharing of peoples and
>> >> bloodlines and wildlife and flora and fauna, that connection to me is
>> >> quite fascinating," she said.
>> >>
>> >> Write to Jonathan Cheng at jonathan.cheng at wsj.com and Alex Frangos at
>> >> alex.frangos at wsj.com
>> >>
>> >> On 9/23/09, Ed Kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
>> >>> Brad,
>> >>>
>> >>> Is there any documentation to the speech?
>> >>>
>> >>> Ed K
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From ekroposki at charter.net  Wed Sep 23 17:24:56 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:24:56 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] comment speaks for itself
Message-ID: <0926228BC0834F35ADED9048C5933464@YOURB88038198E>

>From Brad's Post:

"We're curious as to what she's willing to say in private but not in public," Sevugan said. "Are there other countries that she can see from her window that she doesn't want us to know about?"

The attack dogs are out of the pen...

Ed K
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 18:14:00 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:14:00 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909231404l1818fb8dx4fceef8c81647ba7@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231056i3a2840c8x2f42709acd336fdf@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231246g3e695950mb46f60dad271f272@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909231404l1818fb8dx4fceef8c81647ba7@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909231514p30310b8bqc49616a02a612a3c@mail.gmail.com>

My God .... what a God Damned joke!!

"Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine ? had concerns about whether it did enough to
make insurance affordable for people who will face a new requirement to buy
it."

Of all people Ms. Snowe from Maine should know what a mess gov't run health
care is, since her state has been trying to make it work for several years
now and is still failing miserably. If Maine isn't enough try MA ....
another mess

Trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result
.....

Dumb as a broken hoe handle!!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 4:04 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ric,
>
> Related - this news just in -
>
> http://tinyurl.com/m57lkk
>
> This is arrogance at its worst!  You peons aren't trustworthy with
> information. We have all the answers.  Hell, if we can provide
> 'goobermint' health care for "free", why stop there?  Why not free car
> insurance, homeowners, for chris' sake, throw in free housing! Every
> successful communist country was able to provide all these things!
>
> Brad
>
>
>
> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Can this get any more fantastic? ? ?
> >
> > Hard to imagine that, being from Montana, Senator Baucus survives visits
> to
> > his home state.
> >
> > Too long to paste, here's a link.
> >
> > http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/23/baucus-blunders
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Brad,
> >>
> >> Obama says:
> >>
> >> "If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an
> >> exchange,
> >> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs,"
> >>
> >> THIS is my whole problem with this plan. It does nothing to reduce or
> >> "drive down" costs. It merely spreads them out. How long, at the rate
> >> we're
> >> going is it before prices have risen to the point were, even all
> together
> >> we
> >> can't afford them???
> >>
> >> Why is it SO hard to see that this is a complete waste of time???
> >>
> >> We could easily lower the cost and actually have true reform of health
> >> care
> >> with a few simple two page laws that would allow tax deductions for
> >> privately owned insurance policy costs. Promote higher deductible
> policies
> >> w/HSAs. Stop state mandated coverage. Allow insurance companies to
> operate
> >> across state lines .... All very simple stuff.
> >>
> >> But no, that's not good enough for our POTUS. He wants to take very
> >> special
> >> care of us .... himself ! ! !
> >>
> >> Thank you for your kind consideration Mr. President, BUT I"M NOT IN THE
> >> LEAST INTERESTED IN YOUR "HELP"!
> >>
> >> Rik
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Eric Sandberg
> >> <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:
> >>
> >>> Brad,
> >>>
> >>> Follow the money .... My on going mantra.
> >>>
> >>> *A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax
> >>> ..... no?
> >>>
> >>> Rik
> >>>
> >>> __________________________
> >>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class
> >>>
> >>> The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax
> >>> Hike<
> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>
> >>>
> >>> By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09
> @
> >>> 11:59AM
> >>>
> >>> President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the
> >>> campaign and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has come
> >>> out
> >>> in favor of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle
> class
> >>> who do are uninsured.
> >>>
> >>> During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President
> Obama
> >>> tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
> >>> confronted with a dictionary definition:
> >>>
> >>>  STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's
> >>> Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on
> >>> persons or property for public purposes."
> >>>
> >>> OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
> >>> definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a
> >>> little
> >>> bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to
> >>> check
> >>> on the definition. I mean what...
> >>>
> >>> STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
> >>>
> >>> OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
> >>>
> >>> STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it
> is
> >>> a
> >>> tax increase.
> >>>
> >>> OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that
> >>> I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
> >>>
> >>> Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going
> to
> >>> have an individual mandate or not, but...
> >>>
> >>> STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
> >>>
> >>> OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.
> >>>
> >>>  Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
> >>> Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in
> the
> >>> current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the
> Baucus
> >>> proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not
> >>> maintaining insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would be
> >>> assessed through the tax code and applied as an additional amount of
> >>> Federal
> >>> tax owed."
> >>>
> >>> Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now
> everybody
> >>> in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers
> that
> >>> a
> >>> tax increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed analogy.
> >>> Most
> >>> importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level,
> only
> >>> apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I
> >>> don't
> >>> have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance
> mandate
> >>> would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States.
> >>> Also,
> >>> people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax
> >>> returns,
> >>> and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
> >>> insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't effective,
> >>> with
> >>> an
> >>> estimated<
> http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121
> >13.8
> >>> percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
> >>> Insurance Research Council.
> >>>
> >>> Obama also argued:
> >>>
> >>>  You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in
> higher
> >>> premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if
> you
> >>> can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for
> >>> that.
> >>> That's just piling on.
> >>>
> >>> If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an
> >>> exchange,
> >>> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done
> >>> everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but
> >>> you've
> >>> just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you
> get
> >>> hit
> >>> by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care,
> that's...
> >>>
> >>>  So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance will
> >>> be
> >>> forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under
> the
> >>> Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do
> not
> >>> purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide
> subsidies
> >>> to
> >>> lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of
> the
> >>> federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
> >>> household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does
> not
> >>> obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490
> >>> would
> >>> face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the
> >>> requirement
> >>> for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health
> >>> insurance
> >>> policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption,
> >>> premiums
> >>> would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or
> somewhere
> >>> in
> >>> the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.
> >>>
> >>> Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true
> >>> that
> >>> some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and
> that
> >>> imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking
> into
> >>> account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
> >>> eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend hundreds
> >>> of
> >>> billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase insurance,
> >>> then
> >>> that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing
> >>> uncompensated
> >>> care.
> >>>
> >>> In a prior
> >>> article<
> http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for
> >>> our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
> >>> with a health insurance mandate:
> >>>
> >>>  In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that
> >>> increased coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing
> >>> subsidies
> >>> for citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange. As
> >>> more
> >>> people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
> >>> declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the
> >>> state
> >>> $246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created as
> a
> >>> result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009
> >>> alone,
> >>> and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program
> >>> saw
> >>> its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs
> >>> declined
> >>> by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by nearly
> >>> $2
> >>> billion in other areas.
> >>>
> >>>  The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe
> >>> those who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side
> to
> >>> this. Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low
> >>> health
> >>> care costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get
> >>> sick.
> >>> The reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to
> >>> force
> >>> insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way
> to
> >>> do
> >>> that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really,
> >>> this
> >>> isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people
> to
> >>> pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make
> premiums
> >>> more affordable for the sick.
> >>>
> >>> I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about
> mandates
> >>> last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and
> >>> still
> >>> can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate
> >>> Obama
> >>> said<
> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics
> >during
> >>> a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
> >>> Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're
> >>> paying
> >>> a fine."
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Ric,
> >>>>
> >>>> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
> >>>> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
> >>>> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE owned
> >>>> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest of
> >>>> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
> >>>> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
> >>>> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
> >>>> nothing".
> >>>>
> >>>> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough of
> >>>> the others.
> >>>>
> >>>> Brad
> >>>>
> >>>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>> > Good morning All,
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Rik
> >>>> >
> >>>> > ____________________________
> >>>> >
> >>>>
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
> >>>> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
> >>>> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
> >>>> >
> >>>> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in Washington
> >>>> want to
> >>>> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
> >>>> > <
> >>>>
> http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Here?s the deal:
> >>>> >
> >>>> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced
> it
> >>>> > was investigating
> >>>> > Humana<
> >>>>
> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
> >>>> >for
> >>>> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
> >>>> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
> >>>> Medicare
> >>>> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat
> >>>> health
> >>>> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating
> >>>> with
> >>>> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a
> Medicare
> >>>> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats?
> government
> >>>> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been
> >>>> > supporting
> >>>> a
> >>>> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall
> handsomely.
> >>>> Even
> >>>> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than
> >>>> $150
> >>>> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that
> it
> >>>> stands
> >>>> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors?
> >>>> medical
> >>>> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
> >>>> >
> >>>> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the
> >>>> cuts to
> >>>> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover
> of
> >>>> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose
> their
> >>>> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than
> >>>> most
> >>>> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
> >>>> Commission
> >>>> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home
> >>>> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While
> >>>> many of
> >>>> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the
> >>>> extra
> >>>> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
> >>>> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare
> Advantage
> >>>> plans
> >>>> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of
> >>>> > health
> >>>> > care.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP
> >>>> received
> >>>> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products
> like
> >>>> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
> >>>> ?royalties
> >>>> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
> >>>> million
> >>>> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all
> >>>> > AARP
> >>>> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found that
> >>>> > in
> >>>> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s
> total
> >>>> > revenues.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > * The Bloomberg
> >>>> > article<
> >>>>
> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
> >>>> >-which
> >>>> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
> >>>> secret?-profiled
> >>>> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above
> >>>> > market
> >>>> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great
> buying
> >>>> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
> >>>> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another
> >>>> > disillusioned
> >>>> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP
> had
> >>>> > a
> >>>> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it
> receives
> >>>> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and
> when
> >>>> he
> >>>> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out
> of
> >>>> the
> >>>> > marble-covered atrium.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare
> >>>> Advantage
> >>>> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in
> >>>> medical
> >>>> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent
> requirement.
> >>>> In
> >>>> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as
> 20
> >>>> cents
> >>>> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to
> AARP-sponsored
> >>>> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
> >>>> increasing
> >>>> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence
> >>>> > why
> >>>> AARP
> >>>> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase
> >>>> their
> >>>> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a
> huge
> >>>> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10
> >>>> million
> >>>> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is
> reduced,
> >>>> and
> >>>> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers
> of
> >>>> the
> >>>> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
> >>>> sponsored
> >>>> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare
> Supplement
> >>>> is a
> >>>> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be
> required
> >>>> to
> >>>> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
> >>>> Advantage
> >>>> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program.
> >>>> > These
> >>>> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
> >>>> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases
> is
> >>>> not
> >>>> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
> >>>> Advantage
> >>>> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission
> rates
> >>>> for
> >>>> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need
> >>>> > for
> >>>> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
> >>>> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but
> >>>> also
> >>>> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
> >>>> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries in
> >>>> rural
> >>>> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are relatively
> >>>> low.
> >>>> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in
> >>>> Medicare
> >>>> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas and
> >>>> likely
> >>>> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare
> >>>> > Advantage
> >>>> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the
> same
> >>>> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to
> >>>> > establish
> >>>> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the
> >>>> inadequacy of
> >>>> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Philip Klein at the American
> >>>> > Spectator<
> >>>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin
> >>>> >asked
> >>>> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
> >>>> > ?scare tractics? in response.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about
> this:
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
> >>>> >
> >>>> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative
> arises
> >>>> again:
> >>>> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
> >>>> > you??<
> >>>>
> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> > --
> >>>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
> >>>> > fire,
> >>>> it
> >>>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >>>> >
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >>>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>>>
> >>>>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> >>> it
> >>> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> >> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 18:17:48 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:17:48 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Seniors,
	is AARP looking out for YOUR best 	interests??
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909231514p30310b8bqc49616a02a612a3c@mail.gmail.com>
References: <6634e19e0909230853h6526da83l8f1b0cdc1e449deb@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909230931s2d2f790fnc88067ce1978e7d0@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231031mb5a9e2cybe2b42345a2b06cd@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231056i3a2840c8x2f42709acd336fdf@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231246g3e695950mb46f60dad271f272@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909231404l1818fb8dx4fceef8c81647ba7@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909231514p30310b8bqc49616a02a612a3c@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909231517y701a5356ofab547ca9f6a0c43@mail.gmail.com>

Oh, I almost forgot .... What the hell happened to posting all the bills to
be considered for passage by the congress online *FOR 5 DAYS* Wasn't that
part of Obie One's transparency promise?? Sure didn't take long to sweep
that under the rug!!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 5:14 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> My God .... what a God Damned joke!!
>
> "Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine ? had concerns about whether it did enough to
> make insurance affordable for people who will face a new requirement to buy
> it."
>
> Of all people Ms. Snowe from Maine should know what a mess gov't run health
> care is, since her state has been trying to make it work for several years
> now and is still failing miserably. If Maine isn't enough try MA ....
> another mess
>
> Trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result
> .....
>
> Dumb as a broken hoe handle!!
>
> Rik
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 4:04 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ric,
>>
>> Related - this news just in -
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/m57lkk
>>
>> This is arrogance at its worst!  You peons aren't trustworthy with
>> information. We have all the answers.  Hell, if we can provide
>> 'goobermint' health care for "free", why stop there?  Why not free car
>> insurance, homeowners, for chris' sake, throw in free housing! Every
>> successful communist country was able to provide all these things!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Can this get any more fantastic? ? ?
>> >
>> > Hard to imagine that, being from Montana, Senator Baucus survives visits
>> to
>> > his home state.
>> >
>> > Too long to paste, here's a link.
>> >
>> > http://spectator.org/archives/2009/09/23/baucus-blunders
>> >
>> > Rik
>> >
>> > On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com
>> >wrote:
>> >
>> >> Brad,
>> >>
>> >> Obama says:
>> >>
>> >> "If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an
>> >> exchange,
>> >> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs,"
>> >>
>> >> THIS is my whole problem with this plan. It does nothing to reduce or
>> >> "drive down" costs. It merely spreads them out. How long, at the rate
>> >> we're
>> >> going is it before prices have risen to the point were, even all
>> together
>> >> we
>> >> can't afford them???
>> >>
>> >> Why is it SO hard to see that this is a complete waste of time???
>> >>
>> >> We could easily lower the cost and actually have true reform of health
>> >> care
>> >> with a few simple two page laws that would allow tax deductions for
>> >> privately owned insurance policy costs. Promote higher deductible
>> policies
>> >> w/HSAs. Stop state mandated coverage. Allow insurance companies to
>> operate
>> >> across state lines .... All very simple stuff.
>> >>
>> >> But no, that's not good enough for our POTUS. He wants to take very
>> >> special
>> >> care of us .... himself ! ! !
>> >>
>> >> Thank you for your kind consideration Mr. President, BUT I"M NOT IN THE
>> >> LEAST INTERESTED IN YOUR "HELP"!
>> >>
>> >> Rik
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM, Eric Sandberg
>> >> <sanderico1 at gmail.com>wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Brad,
>> >>>
>> >>> Follow the money .... My on going mantra.
>> >>>
>> >>> *A kiss is just a kiss*, *a sigh is just a sigh*. a tax is just a tax
>> >>> ..... no?
>> >>>
>> >>> Rik
>> >>>
>> >>> __________________________
>> >>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class
>> >>>
>> >>> The Obama-Baucus Middle-Class Tax
>> >>> Hike<
>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/21/the-obama-baucus-middle-class>
>> >>>
>> >>> By Philip Klein <http://spectator.org/people/philip-klein> on 9.21.09
>> @
>> >>> 11:59AM
>> >>>
>> >>> President Obama, who opposed a health insurance mandate during the
>> >>> campaign and has vowed not to support a middle-class tax hike, has
>> come
>> >>> out
>> >>> in favor of a mandate that would raise taxes on those in the middle
>> class
>> >>> who do are uninsured.
>> >>>
>> >>> During an exchange with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, President
>> Obama
>> >>> tried to deny that a mandate was the same as a tax increase, even when
>> >>> confronted with a dictionary definition:
>> >>>
>> >>>  STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam
>> Webster's
>> >>> Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority
>> on
>> >>> persons or property for public purposes."
>> >>>
>> >>> OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the
>> >>> definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a
>> >>> little
>> >>> bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to
>> >>> check
>> >>> on the definition. I mean what...
>> >>>
>> >>> STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, no, but...
>> >>>
>> >>> OBAMA: ...what you're saying is...
>> >>>
>> >>> STEPHANOPOULOS: I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it
>> is
>> >>> a
>> >>> tax increase.
>> >>>
>> >>> OBAMA: My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say
>> that
>> >>> I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that.
>> >>>
>> >>> Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going
>> to
>> >>> have an individual mandate or not, but...
>> >>>
>> >>> STEPHANOPOULOS: But you reject that it's a tax increase?
>> >>>
>> >>> OBAMA: I absolutely reject that notion.
>> >>>
>> >>>  Yet the idea of a mandate as a tax does not merely come from
>> >>> Stephanopoulos, or critics, or Merriam Webster, but from language in
>> the
>> >>> current draft of the Baucus bill itself. In fact, on page 29, the
>> Baucus
>> >>> proposal <http://bit.ly/rvVbk> reads, "The consequence for not
>> >>> maintaining insurance would be an excise tax....The excise tax would
>> be
>> >>> assessed through the tax code and applied as an additional amount of
>> >>> Federal
>> >>> tax owed."
>> >>>
>> >>> Obama argues at another part of the interview that, "right now
>> everybody
>> >>> in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers
>> that
>> >>> a
>> >>> tax increase." But there are many reasons why this is a flawed
>> analogy.
>> >>> Most
>> >>> importantly, car insurance mandates, which apply at the state level,
>> only
>> >>> apply to people who drive a car on public roads. If I don't drive, I
>> >>> don't
>> >>> have to purchase car insurance. By contrast, the health insurance
>> mandate
>> >>> would apply, with few exceptions, to everybody in the United States.
>> >>> Also,
>> >>> people aren't forced to report car insurance in their federal tax
>> >>> returns,
>> >>> and fines are not assessed through the federal tax code. And if car
>> >>> insurance mandates are the model, then they certainly aren't
>> effective,
>> >>> with
>> >>> an
>> >>> estimated<
>> http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS160378+21-Jan-2009+PRN20090121
>> >13.8
>> >>> percent of drivers going without coverage in 2007, according to the
>> >>> Insurance Research Council.
>> >>>
>> >>> Obama also argued:
>> >>>
>> >>>  You and I are both paying $900, on average -- our families -- in
>> higher
>> >>> premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if
>> you
>> >>> can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for
>> >>> that.
>> >>> That's just piling on.
>> >>>
>> >>> If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an
>> >>> exchange,
>> >>> you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've
>> done
>> >>> everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but
>> >>> you've
>> >>> just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you
>> get
>> >>> hit
>> >>> by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care,
>> that's...
>> >>>
>> >>>  So, Obama is saying that nobody who can't afford health insurance
>> will
>> >>> be
>> >>> forced to buy it, but he has an odd definition of "affordable." Under
>> the
>> >>> Baucus plan, individuals would face a tax of at least $750 if they do
>> not
>> >>> purchase health coverage. And while the proposal would provide
>> subsidies
>> >>> to
>> >>> lower-income Americans, those subsidies would stop at 300 percent of
>> the
>> >>> federal poverty level. What that means is that a family of four with a
>> >>> household income above $66,150 would face a tax of $3,800 if it does
>> not
>> >>> obtain health insurance, while an individual with income above $32,490
>> >>> would
>> >>> face a tax of $950. While the proposal would in fact waive the
>> >>> requirement
>> >>> for individuals who can prove they can't afford a minimal health
>> >>> insurance
>> >>> policy as defined by the government, to qualify for the exemption,
>> >>> premiums
>> >>> would have to exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income -- or
>> somewhere
>> >>> in
>> >>> the neighborhood of $3,000 for somebody with income of $32,490.
>> >>>
>> >>> Then there's this larger idea of uncompensated care. While it is true
>> >>> that
>> >>> some people end up showing up in emergency rooms without paying and
>> that
>> >>> imposes costs on others, there's two things that Obama isn't taking
>> into
>> >>> account. First, just because you mandate coverage it doesn't mean you
>> >>> eliminate the uncompensated care. Second, if you have to spend
>> hundreds
>> >>> of
>> >>> billions of dollars on subsidies enabling people to purchase
>> insurance,
>> >>> then
>> >>> that costs far more than whatever would be saved by reducing
>> >>> uncompensated
>> >>> care.
>> >>>
>> >>> In a prior
>> >>> article<
>> http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/21/the-matter-with-myths/print>for
>> >>> our magazine, I looked at the Massachusetts example -- the only state
>> >>> with a health insurance mandate:
>> >>>
>> >>>  In 2006, Massachusetts enacted a landmark health care reform that
>> >>> increased coverage by expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing
>> >>> subsidies
>> >>> for citizens to purchase coverage on a state-run insurance exchange.
>> As
>> >>> more
>> >>> people obtained insurance to comply with a mandate, uncompensated care
>> >>> declined by 38 percent between 2006 and 2009 (projected), saving the
>> >>> state
>> >>> $246 million. However, the Commonwealth Care subsidy program created
>> as a
>> >>> result of the 2006 reform is projected to cost $820 million in 2009
>> >>> alone,
>> >>> and during the same time period, the state?s expanded Medicaid program
>> >>> saw
>> >>> its price tag swell by $1.1 billion. So in other words, while costs
>> >>> declined
>> >>> by a quarter of a billion dollars in one area, they increased by
>> nearly
>> >>> $2
>> >>> billion in other areas.
>> >>>
>> >>>  The other thing to keep in mind is that while Obama likes to describe
>> >>> those who are uninsured by choice as freeloaders, there's a flip side
>> to
>> >>> this. Many of those who are currently uninsured simply have very low
>> >>> health
>> >>> care costs, which they are willing to pay out of pocket when they get
>> >>> sick.
>> >>> The reason why Obama supports a mandate is that he wants to be able to
>> >>> force
>> >>> insurers to cover those with preexisting conditions, and the only way
>> to
>> >>> do
>> >>> that is to bring uninsured healthy people into the system. So really,
>> >>> this
>> >>> isn't about eliminating freeloaders, it's about forcing healthy people
>> to
>> >>> pay for more health care than they need to so that they can make
>> premiums
>> >>> more affordable for the sick.
>> >>>
>> >>> I think candidate Obama had this one right when he talked about
>> mandates
>> >>> last year. "In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and
>> >>> still
>> >>> can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were,? candidate
>> >>> Obama
>> >>> said<
>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/archives/2009/09/10/%20http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21text-demdebate.html?pagewanted=17&_r=1&ref=politics
>> >during
>> >>> a February 2008 debate, referring to conditions under the
>> >>> Massachusetts mandate. "They don't have health insurance and they're
>> >>> paying
>> >>> a fine."
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> Ric,
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Anytime you see a large organization or company get behind The One,
>> >>>> follow the money. AARP thinks they will "game the system" just like
>> >>>> the Krupps family thought they would game the Nazi's.  GE and GE
>> owned
>> >>>> NBC thinks they will "game the system" for their benefit.  The rest
>> of
>> >>>> us are being forced to "bet the farm" on 21 coming-up on the next
>> >>>> spin. AARP is already losing members by the thousands.  Like the
>> >>>> dead-tree media, they're doubling down on their bets for "all or
>> >>>> nothing".
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Gambling is the only vice I don't enjoy.  Lord knows I enjoy enough
>> of
>> >>>> the others.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Brad
>> >>>>
>> >>>> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>>> > Good morning All,
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Saw this, this morning on M/M's blog. Sure seems fishy, don't it?
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Rik
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > ____________________________
>> >>>> >
>> >>>>
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/22/hmmm-is-the-aarp-getting-kickbacks-from-obamacare/
>> >>>> > Hmmm: Is the AARP getting ?kickbacks? from Obamacare? By Michelle
>> >>>> > Malkin  ?  September 22, 2009 10:19 PM
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > AARP members who are still wondering why their leaders in
>> Washington
>> >>>> want to
>> >>>> > sell them out on Obamacare, pay attention.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > The GOP has uncovered one very lucrative possibility: Kickbacks.
>> >>>> > <
>> >>>>
>> http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/09/22/aarp-helping-seniors-or-helping>
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Here?s the deal:
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced
>> it
>> >>>> > was investigating
>> >>>> > Humana<
>> >>>>
>> http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/21/hhs-investigates-humana-for-mailer-on-obamacare/
>> >>>> >for
>> >>>> > providing ?misleading? information regarding the Administration?s
>> >>>> > proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage policies-and prohibited other
>> >>>> Medicare
>> >>>> > Advantage plans from providing similar information on how Democrat
>> >>>> health
>> >>>> > ?reform? could take away their current coverage.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Yet the Administration?s edict prohibiting plans from communicating
>> >>>> with
>> >>>> > their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a
>> Medicare
>> >>>> > Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats?
>> government
>> >>>> > takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been
>> >>>> > supporting
>> >>>> a
>> >>>> > health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall
>> handsomely.
>> >>>> Even
>> >>>> > as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than
>> >>>> $150
>> >>>> > billion, an analysis of the organization?s operations reveals that
>> it
>> >>>> stands
>> >>>> > to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors?
>> >>>> medical
>> >>>> > care-with Democrats? full approval:
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > * The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that the
>> >>>> cuts to
>> >>>> > Medicare Advantage plans proposed in Democrats? government takeover
>> of
>> >>>> > health care (H.R. 3200) would cause millions of seniors to lose
>> their
>> >>>> > current plan and enroll in government-run Medicare.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > * Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than
>> >>>> most
>> >>>> > private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory
>> >>>> Commission
>> >>>> > found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing
>> home
>> >>>> > settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance.
>> While
>> >>>> many of
>> >>>> > these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for
>> the
>> >>>> extra
>> >>>> > benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase
>> >>>> > supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare
>> Advantage
>> >>>> plans
>> >>>> > be taken away from them due to Democrats? government takeover of
>> >>>> > health
>> >>>> > care.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > * A review of its financial statements finds that in 2008, AARP
>> >>>> received
>> >>>> > more than half a billion dollars in revenue from selling products
>> like
>> >>>> > Medigap supplemental insurance policies-$652.7 million in direct
>> >>>> ?royalties
>> >>>> > and fees,? and an increase of more than 31 percent from the $497.6
>> >>>> million
>> >>>> > in similar revenue AARP generated in 2007.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > * Royalty revenues now comprise more than half-60.3 percent-of all
>> >>>> > AARP
>> >>>> > revenues; a Bloomberg news analysis published in December found
>> that
>> >>>> > in
>> >>>> > 1999, royalties comprised only 11 percent of the organization?s
>> total
>> >>>> > revenues.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > * The Bloomberg
>> >>>> > article<
>> >>>>
>> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a4OkPQIPF6Kg
>> >>>> >-which
>> >>>> > highlighted what one observer called AARP?s ?dirty little
>> >>>> secret?-profiled
>> >>>> > seniors who felt betrayed after paying hundreds of dollars above
>> >>>> > market
>> >>>> > price for AARP-branded coverage. One noted that ?AARP has great
>> buying
>> >>>> > power, and people should be able to get the best deal?.This is
>> >>>> > unconscionable, what AARP has allowed to happen.? Another
>> >>>> > disillusioned
>> >>>> > senior wrote to the organization?s leadership asking whether AARP
>> had
>> >>>> > a
>> >>>> > ??special relationship? with [insurance carriers] by which it
>> receives
>> >>>> > commissions, incentives, rebates, or dare I say ?kickbacks???-and
>> when
>> >>>> he
>> >>>> > arrived at AARP headquarters for a tour, was promptly escorted out
>> of
>> >>>> the
>> >>>> > marble-covered atrium.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > * While H.R. 3200 would place strict price controls on Medicare
>> >>>> Advantage
>> >>>> > plans-requiring them to pay out 85 percent of premium revenues in
>> >>>> medical
>> >>>> > claims-Medigap policies face a far less strict 65 percent
>> requirement.
>> >>>> In
>> >>>> > other words, under the Democrat bill, seniors could pay as much as
>> 20
>> >>>> cents
>> >>>> > more out of every premium dollar to fund ?kickbacks? to
>> AARP-sponsored
>> >>>> > Medigap plans than Medicare Advantage plans.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > The higher prices charged by AARP plans, and the organization?s
>> >>>> increasing
>> >>>> > dependence upon revenue from ?royalties,? provide tangible evidence
>> >>>> > why
>> >>>> AARP
>> >>>> > would support cuts to Medicare Advantage that would likely increase
>> >>>> their
>> >>>> > ?kickbacks? from Medigap plans.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > A Hill source summed it up for me this way: ?AARP has endorsed a
>> huge
>> >>>> > reduction in funding of Medicare Advantage, which touches over 10
>> >>>> million
>> >>>> > middle-lower income seniors. If Medicare Advantage funding is
>> reduced,
>> >>>> and
>> >>>> > seniors are forced out of the program, they become potential buyers
>> of
>> >>>> the
>> >>>> > heavily-promoted and very profitable Medicare Supplement program
>> >>>> sponsored
>> >>>> > by AARP (MediGap is 70% of AARP?s annual income). Medicare
>> Supplement
>> >>>> is a
>> >>>> > huge source of revenue to AARP. At a minimum, AARP should be
>> required
>> >>>> to
>> >>>> > disclose this every time they discuss Medicare Advantage. Medicare
>> >>>> Advantage
>> >>>> > plans are making important contributions to the Medicare program.
>> >>>> > These
>> >>>> > plans focus on prevention and offer disease management programs for
>> >>>> > beneficiaries with chronic diseases. This focus on chronic diseases
>> is
>> >>>> not
>> >>>> > seen anywhere in MediGap. New research demonstrates that Medicare
>> >>>> Advantage
>> >>>> > plans have reduced unnecessary hospitalizations and readmission
>> rates
>> >>>> for
>> >>>> > beneficiaries with diabetes and heart disease. By reducing the need
>> >>>> > for
>> >>>> > hospitalization and emergency room care, private plans are not only
>> >>>> > improving the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries ? but
>> >>>> also
>> >>>> > achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings. The House proposal
>> >>>> > (supported by AARP) would disproportionately affect beneficiaries
>> in
>> >>>> rural
>> >>>> > counties and areas where fee-for-service expenditures are
>> relatively
>> >>>> low.
>> >>>> > The current provisions in the bill would result in reductions in
>> >>>> Medicare
>> >>>> > Advantage funding by more than 20 percent in many of these areas
>> and
>> >>>> likely
>> >>>> > limit seniors access to coordinated care through the Medicare
>> >>>> > Advantage
>> >>>> > program. The areas that are impacted the most by the bill are the
>> same
>> >>>> > geographic areas where Congress has acted twice since 1997 to
>> >>>> > establish
>> >>>> > payment floors for private plan options in recognition of the
>> >>>> inadequacy of
>> >>>> > existing FFS rates as the basis for Medicare Advantage payments.?
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Philip Klein at the American
>> >>>> > Spectator<
>> >>>> http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin
>> >>>> >asked
>> >>>> > the AARP for comment ? and received an evasive statement decrying
>> >>>> > ?scare tractics? in response.
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Card-carrying members might want to ask AARP headquarters about
>> this:
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > And the question one AARP member asked his AARP representative
>> arises
>> >>>> again:
>> >>>> > ?Do you work for us or do we work for
>> >>>> > you??<
>> >>>>
>> http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/06/revolt-against-aarp-in-dallas-do-you-work-for-us-or-do-we-work-for-you/
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> >
>> >>>> > --
>> >>>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
>> >>>> > fire,
>> >>>> it
>> >>>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >>>> >
>> >>>>
>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>> >>>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> >>>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>> >>>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> --
>> >>> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like
>> fire,
>> >>> it
>> >>> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> >> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
>> it
>> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>
>


-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Wed Sep 23 22:25:06 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:25:06 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Palin Speaks
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909230737l34151d1btdba9d8f584b52493@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909230653x60b2183cmfe33aac1a8659b64@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909230737l34151d1btdba9d8f584b52493@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909231925l28366a12pf644aff508b07c23@mail.gmail.com>

More of Sarah's speech from her Facebook page (below).  She gave the
speech from notes.

Brad

-------

Thoughts from Hong Kong
 Today at 6:31pm
Many have asked to see my remarks as presented in Hong Kong. Here is an excerpt:

So far, I?ve given you the view from Main Street, USA. But now I?d
like to share with you how a Common Sense Conservative sees the world
at large.

Later this year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of
the Berlin Wall ? an event that changed not just Europe but the entire
world. In a matter of months, millions of people in formerly captive
nations were freed to pursue their individual and national ambitions.

The competition that defined the post World War II era was suddenly
over. What was once called ?the free world? had so much to celebrate ?
the peaceful end to a great power rivalry and the liberation of so
many from tyranny?s grip.

Some, you could say, took the celebration too far. Many spoke of a
?peace dividend,? of the need to focus on domestic issues and spend
less time, attention and money on endeavors overseas. Many saw a
peaceful future, where globalization would break down borders and lead
to greater global prosperity. Some argued that state sovereignty would
fade ? like that was a good thing? ? that new non-governmental actors
and old international institutions would become dominant in the new
world order.

As we all know, that did not happen. Unfortunately, there was no
shortage of warning signs that the end of the Cold War did not mean
the end of history or the end of conflict. In Europe, the breakup of
Yugoslavia resulted in brutal wars in the Balkans. In the Middle East,
a war was waged to reverse Saddam Hussein?s invasion of Kuwait. North
Korea?s nuclear program nearly led to military conflict. In Africa,
U.S. embassies were bombed by a group called al Qaeda.

Two weeks ago, America commemorated the 8th anniversary of the
savagery of September 11, 2001. The vicious terrorist attacks of that
day made clear that what happened in lands far distant from American
shores directly affect our security. We came to learn, if we did not
know before, that there were violent fanatics who sought not just to
kill innocents, but to end our way of life. Their attacks have not
been limited to the United States.

They attacked targets in Europe, North Africa and throughout the
Middle East. Here in Asia, they killed more than 200 in a single
attack in Bali. They bombed the Marriott Hotel and the Australian
Embassy in Jakarta. Last year in Mumbai, more than 170 were killed in
coordinated attacks in the heart of India?s financial capital. In this
struggle with radical Islamic extremists, no part of the world is safe
from those who bomb, maim and kill in the service of their twisted
vision.

This war ? and that is what it is, a war ? is not, as some have said,
a clash of civilizations. We are not at war with Islam. This is a war
within Islam, where a small minority of violent killers seeks to
impose their view on the vast majority of Muslims who want the same
things all of us want: economic opportunity, education, and the chance
to build a better life for themselves and their families. The reality
is that al Qaeda and its affiliates have killed scores of innocent
Muslim men, women and children.

The reality is that Muslims from Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Afghanistan
and many other countries are fighting al Qaeda and their allies today.
But this will be a long war, and it will require far more than just
military power to prevail. Just as we did in the Cold War, we will
need to use all the tools at our disposal ? hard and soft power.
Economic development, public diplomacy, educational exchanges, and
foreign assistance will be just as important as the instruments of
military power.

During the election campaign in the U.S. last year, you might have
noticed we had some differences over Iraq. John McCain and I believed
in the strength of the surge strategy ? because of its success, Iraq
is no longer the central front in the war on terrorism. Afghanistan
is. Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and if we are
not successful in Afghanistan, al Qaeda will once again find safe
haven there. As a candidate and in office, President Obama called
Afghanistan the ?necessary war? and pledged to provide the resources
needed to prevail. However, prominent voices in the Democratic Party
are opposing the additional U.S. ground forces that are clearly
needed.

Speaker of the House Pelosi, Defense Subcommittee Chairman Murtha, the
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair, and many others, recently
expressed doubts about sending additional forces! President Obama will
face a decision soon when the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan requests
additional forces to implement his new counterinsurgency strategy.

We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable
representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it
takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. Last year, in the midst of
the U.S. debate over what do to in Iraq, an important voice was heard
? from Asia?s Wise Man, former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan
Yew, who wrote in the Washington Post about the cost of retreat in
Iraq. In that article, he prophetically addressed the stakes in
Afghanistan. He wrote:

?The Taliban is again gathering strength, and a Taliban victory in
Afghanistan or Pakistan would reverberate throughout the Muslim world.
It would influence the grand debate among Muslims on the future of
Islam. A severely retrograde form of Islam would be seen to have
defeated modernity twice: first the Soviet Union, then the United
States. There would be profound consequences, especially in the
campaign against terrorism.?

That statesman?s words remain every bit as true today. And Minister
Lee knows, and I agree, that our success in Afghanistan will have
consequences all over the world, including Asia. Our allies and our
adversaries are watching to see if we have the staying power to
protect our interests in Afghanistan. That is why I recently joined a
group of Americans in urging President Obama to devote the resources
necessary in Afghanistan and pledged to support him if he made the
right decision.

That is why, even during this time of financial distress we need to
maintain a strong defense. All government spending should undergo
serious scrutiny. No programs or agencies should be automatically
immune from cuts.

We need to go back to fiscal discipline and unfortunately that has not
been the view of the current Administration. They?re spending
everywhere and with disregard for deficits and debts and our future
economic competitiveness. Though we are engaged in two wars and face a
diverse array of threats, it is the defense budget that has seen
significant program cuts and has actually been reduced from current
levels!

First, the Defense Department received only ? of 1 % of the nearly
trillion dollar Stimulus Package funding ? even though many military
projects fit the definition of ?shovel-ready.? In this
Administration?s first defense budget request for 2010, important
programs were reduced or cancelled. As the threat of ballistic
missiles from countries like North Korea and Iran grow, missile
defense was slashed.

Despite the need to move men and material by air into theaters like
Afghanistan, the Obama Administration sought to end production of our
C-17s, the work horse of our ability to project long range power.
Despite the Air Force saying it would increase future risk, the Obama
Administration successfully sought to end F-22 production ? at a time
when both Russia and China are acquiring large numbers of next
generation fighter aircraft. It strikes me as odd that Defense
Secretary Gates is the only member of the Cabinet to be tasked with
tightening his belt.

Now in the region I want to emphasize today: The reason I speak about
defense is because our strong defense posture in Asia has helped keep
the region safe and allowed it to prosper. Our Asian allies get
nervous if they think we are weakening our security commitments. I
worry about defense cuts not because I expect war but because I so
badly want peace. And the region has enjoyed peace for so long because
of our security commitment to our longstanding allies and partners.

Asia has been one of the world?s great success stories. It is a region
where America needs to assist with right mix of hard and soft power.
While I have so much hope for a bright future in Asia, in a region
this dynamic, we must always be prepared for other contingencies. We
must work at this ? work with our allies to ensure the region?s
continued peace and prosperity.

I know that you all -- like all of Asia and indeed the whole world ?
has a keen interest in the emergence of ?China as a great power.? Over
the past few decades China?s economic growth has been remarkable. So
has the economic growth and political liberalization of all of our key
allies in Asia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Asia?s economic growth
and political development, together with our forward military presence
in the region and strong alliances, have allowed the region to prosper
in peace for a long time. We hope that Asia will continue to be an
engine of world economic growth, will continue to democratize and will
remain at peace.

Our future is now deeply linked to Asia?s success. Our children?s
future. We must continue to strengthen our key alliance with Japan, a
country going through its own democratic change. Together the U.S. and
Japan built the security umbrella under which so many Asians
prospered. While there is so much attention to China these days, we
cannot forget the importance of Japan in helping to make this the
?Pacific Century.?

The recent elections in Japan demonstrated that voters wanted reform
and an end to debt and stagnation. We have a substantial stake in
Japan?s success -- our alliance with must continue to be the linchpin
of regional security.

With its open political system and vibrant democracy, South Korea
wants to play a larger role on the international stage as well. Of
course it wants us to work together toward a future where the
peninsula is irreversibly denuclearized, and unified. But it also
wants to play a global role. We need to work together with Japan,
South Korea and our steadfast ally to the south, Australia, to make
sure Asia remains peaceful and prosperous.

Australia rightly reminds us to keep our eye on Southeast Asia, where
Indonesia has proved that Islam and democracy can co-exist. Indonesia
has fought extremism inside its own border and is consolidating a
multi-ethnic democracy that is home to hundreds of millions of
Muslims. Those who say Islam and democracy are incompatible insult our
friends in Indonesia.

Our great democratic friend India is also ?looking East?, seeking a
greater role in East Asia as well. Together with our allies we must
help integrate India into Asia. If we do so we will have yet another
strong democracy driving Asia?s economy and working on shared problems
such as proliferation and extremism. And we must continue working with
the region?s most dynamic economy, China. We all hope that China?s
stated policy of a ?Peaceful Rise? will be its future course.

You know better than most the enormous change that has taken place in
China over the last thirty years. Hundreds of millions of Chinese have
been pulled out of poverty as China has undertaken economic reforms
that have resulted in unprecedented growth. Even today, China?s
economy is projected to grow by some 8%. It is helping to edge the
world out of recession.

China has amassed huge financial reserves. Chinese diplomats are
engaged on every continent and, through its vote on the United Nations
Security Council, China has become critical in gaining UN support on
multilateral issues from Darfur to Iran to North Korea.

Just four years ago, then-Deputy Secretary of State Bob Zoellick urged
China to become a ?responsible stakeholder? in the international
system. He observed the many benefits to China of a ?benign
international environment.?

The peaceful regional environment that China has enjoyed was created
through the hard work of Americans, Japanese, South Koreans and
Australians. Secretary Zoellick urged China to step up and play its
role too. We are working with China to de-nuclearize North Korea. But
to be a responsible member of the international community China should
exert greater pressure on North Korea to denuclearize and undergo the
fundamental reforms it needs. Zoellick urged China to play a greater
role in stabilizing the international energy market by ceasing its
support of dangerous regimes.

China could play a role in stabilizing its ally Pakistan, and working
for peace in Afghanistan. There are many areas where the U.S. and
China can work together. And, we would welcome a China that wanted to
assume a more responsible and active role in international politics.

But Secretary Zoellick also noted that many of China?s actions create
risk and uncertainty. These uncertainties led nations to ?hedge? their
relations with China because, in Zoellick?s words: ?Many countries
HOPE China will pursue a ?Peaceful Rise? but NONE will bet their
future on it.?

See: this is the heart of the issue with China: we engage with the
hope Beijing becomes a responsible stakeholder, but we must takes
steps in the event it does not. See? We all hope to see a China that
is stable, peaceful, prosperous and free. But we must also work with
our allies in the region and the world in the event China goes in a
direction that causes regional instability.

Asia is at its best when it is not dominated by a single power. In
seeking Asia?s continued peace and prosperity, we should seek, as we
did in Europe, an Asia ?whole and free? ? free from domination by any
one power, prospering in open and free markets, and settling political
differences at ballot boxes and negotiating tables.

We can, must and should work with a ?rising China? to address issues
of mutual concern. But we also need to work with our allies in
addressing the uncertainties created by China?s rise. We simply CANNOT
turn a blind eye to Chinese policies and actions that can undermine
international peace and security.

China has some 1000 missiles aimed at Taiwan and no serious observer
believes Taiwan poses a military threat to Beijing. Those same Chinese
forces make our friends in Japan and Australia nervous. China provides
support for some of the world?s most questionable regimes from Sudan
to Burma to Zimbabwe. China?s military buildup raises concerns from
Delhi to Tokyo because it has taken place in the absence of any
discernable external threat.

China, along with Russia, has repeatedly undermined efforts to impose
tougher sanctions on Iran for its defiance of the international
community in pursuing its nuclear program. The Chinese food and
product safety record has raised alarms from East Asia and Europe to
the United States. And, domestic incidents of unrest -- from the
protests of Uighurs and Tibetans, to Chinese workers throughout the
country rightfully make us nervous.

It is very much in our interest and the interest of regional stability
that China work out its own contradictions ? between a dynamic and
entrepreneurial private sector on the one hand and a one party state
unwilling or unable to adjust to its own society?s growing needs and
desires and demands, including a human being?s innate desire for
freedom.

I do not cite these issues out of any hostility toward China. Quite
the contrary, I and all Americans of good faith hope for the Chinese
people?s success. We welcome the rise that can be so good for all
mankind. We simply urge China to rise responsibly. I simply believe we
cannot ignore areas of disagreement as we seek to move forward on
areas of agreement. Believe me, China does not hesitate to tell us
when it thinks we are in the wrong.

I mentioned China?s internal contradictions. They should concern us
all. We hear many Chinese voices throughout that great country calling
out for more freedom, and for greater justice. Twenty years ago, many
believed that as China liberalized its economy, greater political
freedom would naturally follow. Unfortunately that has not come to
pass.

Ummm, in fact, it seems China has taken great pains to learn what it
sees as ?the lesson? of the fall on the Berlin Wall and the demise of
the Soviet Union: any easing of political constraints can inevitably
spin out of control. But, in many ways, it is the essence of China?s
political system that leads to concerns about its rise.

Think about it. How many books and articles have been written about
the dangers of India?s rise? Almost as large as China ? and soon to be
more populous ? virtually no one worries about the security
implications of India becoming a great power ? just as a century ago
the then-preeminent power, Great Britain, worried little about the
rise of America to great power status. My point is that the more
politically open and just China is, the more Chinese citizens of every
ethnicity will settle disputes in courts rather than on the streets.
The more open it is, the less we will be concerned about its military
build-up and intentions. The more transparent China is, the more
likely it is they we will find a true and lasting friendship based on
shared values as well as interests.

I am not talking about some U.S.-led ?democracy crusade.? We cannot
impose our values on other counties. Nor should we seek to. But the
ideas of freedom, liberty and respect for human rights are not U.S.
ideas, they are much more than that. They are enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and many other international
covenants and treaties. They apply to citizens in Shanghai as much as
they do to citizens in Johannesburg or Jakarta. And demands for
liberty in China are Chinese, not American, demands. Just last year,
many brave Chinese signed Charter 08, a Chinese document modeled on
the great Czech statesman Vlacav Havel?s Charter 77. Charter 08 would
not be unfamiliar to our Founding Fathers and was endorsed by Havel
himself. No, we need not convince the Chinese people that they have
inalienable rights. They are calling for those rights themselves. But
we do have to worry about a China where the government suppresses the
liberties its people hold dear.

Nothing of what I am saying should be seen as meaning conflict with
China is inevitable. Quite the contrary. As I said, we welcome China?s
responsible rise. America and China stood together against fascism
during World War II, before ravages took over in China ? we were ready
to stand together with China to shape international politics after
World War II. Much has been accomplished since President Nixon?s
fateful visit. And again, we stand ready to work with what we hope
will be a more open and responsible China on the challenges facing the
21st century.

All of you here know how deeply integrated the economies of the United
States? and China?s are. We rely on each other, sometimes
unfortunately in unhealthy ways. America spends too much that we don?t
have, and then we go to China as a lender of first resort. Our fiscal
policy, lately, seems to be ?tax, spend, borrow, tax some more,
repeat? and then complain about how much debt China holds. America
needs to gets its own fiscal house in order. That?s a Common Sense
Conservative perspective. We can hardly complain that China holds so
much of our debt when it?s over spending that created the debt.

But here?s the reality. If in fact the United States does the ?right?
thing ? if we spend less and save more ? then China will also have to
rebalance its economy. We need to export more to China ? and we?d like
China to consume more of our goods ? just as we need to save and
invest more. This vital process ? so crucial to both countries ? is
impeded by problems of market access.

We must talk about these issues with more candor. If China adopts
policies that keep our highest value products out of their markets, by
manipulating technical standards or licensing requirements, our
economic relationship suffers.

Our economic interdependence drives our relationship with China. I see
a future of more trade with China and more American high-tech goods in
China. But in order for that to happen, we need China to improve its
rule of law and protect our intellectual property. We need to avoid
protectionism and China?s flirtation with state-assisted ?national
champions.? On our part, we should be more open to Chinese investment
where our national security interests are not threatened. In the end,
though, our economic relationship will truly thrive when Chinese
citizens and foreign corporations can hold the Chinese government
accountable when their actions are unjust.

I see a bright future for America in Asia. One based on the alliances
that have gotten us this far, one based on free and open markets, one
that integrates democratic India into East Asia?s political life and
one in which China decides to be a responsible member of the
international community and gives its people the liberty ? the freedom
? they so desperately want.

Sadly, however, our largest free trade agreement ever in Asia, with
South Korea, sits frozen in the Congress. In contrast, China is
behaving wisely in negotiating free trade agreements throughout Asia.
We want an Asia open to our goods and services. But if we do not get
our free trade act together, we will be shut out by agreements Asians
our making among themselves.

All of you here follow global financial markets and economic policy
closely, I know that it will come as no surprise to you that United
States leadership on global trade and investment is being sorely
tested at this moment.

We are struggling with a monumental debate on whether fiscal
discipline, or massive government spending, will drive a sustained
recovery. We are struggling to repair the excesses that grew in our
own economy and served as a trigger to a catastrophic collapse in the
global financial system. And we are attempting to do so under the
weight of a global imbalance of debt and trade deficits that are not
only unbearable for the world?s mightiest economy, but also
unacceptable in that they foster tensions between global economic
partners like the United States and China.

I am proud to be an American. As someone who has had the tremendous
opportunity to travel throughout the United States and listen to the
concerns of Americans in towns and cities across the country, I can
tell you that there is a sense of despair and even crisis afoot in
America that has the potential to shape our global investment and
trade policies for years, and even decades to come. Never has the
leadership of our government ever been more critical to keeping my
country, and the world, on a path to openness, growth and opportunity
in global trade and investment.

It would of course be a mistake to put the entire burden of restoring
the global economy on the backs of America?s leaders. There is plenty
of work for all of us to do in this matter. Governments around the
world must resist the siren call of trade protection to bring short
term relief during a time of crisis.

Those who use currency policy or subsidies to promote their nation?s
exports should remain acutely aware that if there ever were a time in
which such policies could be viewed as ?tolerable,? that time has now
passed. All participants who seek to find benefit in the global
trading system must also take the responsibility of playing by the
rules.

The private sector has responsibilities as well. For instance, it
should not be the responsibility of government to dictate the salaries
of bankers or the ownership of companies. And yet, due of the excesses
committed by some, this is exactly where we find ourselves now because
government now owns substantial portions of the private economy ?
even, unbelievably, in the United States.

These are challenging times for everyone, but we in the United States
must humbly recognize that if we are to lead and to set the direction
for the rest of the world, it must be by our example and not merely
our words. And we must tread lightly when imposing new burdens on the
imports of other countries.

Well, CLSA: My country is definitely at a crossroad. Polling in the
U.S. shows a majority of Americans no longer believe that their
children will have a better future than they have had...that is a 1st.

When members of America?s greatest generation ? the World War II
generation ? lose their homes and their life savings because their
retirement funds were wiped after the financial collapse, people feel
a great anger. There is suddenly a growing sentiment to just ?throw
the bums out? of Washington, D.C. ? and by bums they mean the
Republicans and the Democrats. Americans are suffering from pay cuts
and job losses, and they want to know why their elected leaders are
not tightening their belts. It?s not lost on people that Congress
voted to exempt themselves from the health care plan they are
thrusting on the rest of the nation. There is a growing sense of
frustration on Main Street. But even in the midst of crisis and
despair, we see signs of hope.

In fact, it?s a sea change in America, I believe. Recently, there have
been protests by ordinary Americans who marched on Washington to
demand their government stop spending away their future. Large numbers
of ordinary, middle-class Democrats, Republicans, and Independents
from all over the country marching on Washington?! You know
something?s up!

These are the same people who flocked to the town halls this summer to
face their elected officials who were home on hiatus from that distant
capital and were now confronted with the people they represent. Big
town hall meetings ? video clips circulating coverage ? people
watching, feeling not so alone anymore.

The town halls and the Tea Party movement are both part of a growing
grassroots consciousness among ordinary Americans who?ve decided that
if they want real change, they must take the lead and not wait to be
led. Real change ? and, you know, you don?t need a title to do it.

The ?Tea Party Movement? is aptly named to remind people of the
American Revolution ? of colonial patriots who shook off the yoke of a
distant government and declared their freedom from indifferent ?
elitist ? rulers who limited their progress and showed them no
respect. Today, Main Street Americans see Washington in similar terms.

When my country again achieves financial stability and economic growth
? when we roar back to life as we shall do ? it will be thanks in
large part to the hard work and common sense of these ordinary
Americans who are demanding that government spend less and tax less
and allow the private sector to grow and prosper.

We?re not interested in government fixes; we?re interested in freedom!
Freedom! Our vision is forward looking. People may be frustrated now,
but we?re very hopeful too.

And, after all, why shouldn?t we be? We?re Americans. We?re always hopeful.

Thank you for letting me share some of that hope, and a view from Main
Street with you. God Bless You.



On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
>
> It is EXTREMELY unfortunate that we have to subject ourselves to the whims
> of the current administration to get people to finally see the light. Sarah
> is shining brightly, yet still, few can see.
>
> Some just have to learn the hard way. It'd just be nice if they'd learn on
> their own dime, eh??
>
> We can only hope to make it to the next election before the dollar crashes
> or the economy gives up altogether.
>
> Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we .... expect free lunch!
>
> GO SARAH!
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 8:53 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Wow, I almost fainted when I read the attached New York Times article.
>>  They actually had good things to say about Sarah Palin.  Of course it
>> was from their website and only 47 minutes old so we'll see what makes
>> it into print.  I like the observation by the author that Palin is a
>> Libertarian and the Obama supporter's comment that "she's bright".
>> Duuuuh, we knew that.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> -------------------
>>
>> September 24, 2009
>> Palin Speaks to Investors in Hong Kong
>> By MARK McDONALD
>>
>> HONG KONG ? Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her first speech
>> overseas, spoke on Wednesday to Asian bankers, investors and fund
>> managers.
>>
>> A number of people who heard the speech in a packed hotel ballroom,
>> which was closed to the media, said Mrs. Palin spoke from notes for 90
>> minutes and that she was articulate, well-prepared and even
>> compelling.
>>
>> ?The speech was wide-ranging, very balanced, and she beat all
>> expectations,? said Doug A. Coulter, head of private equity in the
>> Asia-Pacific region for LGT Capital Partners.
>>
>> ?She didn?t sound at all like a far-right-wing conservative. She
>> seemed to be positioning herself as a libertarian or a small-c
>> conservative,? he said, adding that she mentioned both Ronald Reagan
>> and Margaret Thatcher. ?She brought up both those names.?
>>
>> Mrs. Palin said she was speaking as ?someone from Main Street U.S.A.,?
>> and she touched on her concerns about oversized federal bailouts and
>> the unsustainable American government deficit. She did not repeat her
>> attack from last month that the Obama administration?s health care
>> proposals would create a ?death panel? that would allow federal
>> bureaucrats to decide who is ?worthy of health care.?
>>
>> Cameron Sinclair, another speaker at the event, said Mrs. Palin
>> emphasized the need for a grassroots rebirth of the Republican Party
>> driven by party leaders outside Washington.
>>
>> A number of attendees thought Mrs. Palin, the former vice presidential
>> candidate, was using the speech to begin to broaden her foreign policy
>> credentials before making a run for the presidency in 2012.
>>
>> ?She?s definitely a serious future presidential candidate, and I
>> understand why she plays so well in middle America,? said Mr. Coulter,
>> a Canadian.
>>
>> Mrs. Palin was faulted during the campaign last year for her lack of
>> foreign policy experience and expertise. As the governor of Alaska,
>> she said in her own defense, she had a unique insight because ?you can
>> actually see Russia from land here in Alaska? ? a remark that was
>> widely lampooned.
>>
>> Accompanying Mrs. Palin to Hong Kong was Randy Scheunemann, the former
>> foreign policy adviser to John McCain, who lost the 2008 election to
>> President Obama.
>>
>> Mrs. Palin did not take questions from the media after the speech, and
>> there was a high degree of security and secrecy around the event. Only
>> invited guests and a handful of employees from CLSA, the brokerage
>> house that sponsored the event, were allowed inside the ballroom.
>>
>> A CLSA spokeswoman declined to confirm a rumor that Mrs. Palin was
>> paid $300,000 for her Hong Kong appearance.
>>
>> When she resigned as governor in July, Mrs. Palin cited numerous
>> reasons for stepping down, including more than $500,000 in legal fees
>> that she and her husband, Todd, incurred because of 15 ethics
>> complaints filed against her during her two and a half years in
>> office.
>>
>> Mr. Coulter said CLSA has a history of inviting keynote speakers who
>> are ?newsworthy and potentially controversial.? Other previous
>> speakers at the conference have included Al Gore, Alan Greenspan, Bono
>> and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
>>
>> Mrs. Palin?s speech took place at the Grand Hyatt on the Victoria
>> Harbor waterfront and amid the soaring towers of corporate giants like
>> AIG, HSBC and the Bank of China. Some attendees saw Hong Kong as an
>> auspicious place for her first major international appearance.
>>
>> Melvin Good?, a regional marketing consultant, thought Mrs. Palin
>> chose Hong Kong because, he said, it was ?a place where things happen
>> and where freedom can be expanded upon.?
>>
>> ?It?s not Beijing or Shanghai,? said Mr. Good? . ?She also mentioned
>> Tibet, Burma and North Korea in the same breath as places where China
>> should be more sensitive and careful about how people are treated. She
>> said it on a human-rights level.?
>>
>> Mr. Good?, an African-American who said he did some campaign polling
>> for President Obama, said Mrs. Palin mentioned President Obama three
>> times on Wednesday.
>>
>> ?And there was nothing derogatory in it, no sleight of hand, and
>> believe me, I was listening for that,? he said, adding that Mrs. Palin
>> referred to Mr. Obama as ?our president,? with the emphasis on ?our.?
>>
>> Mr. Good?, a New Yorker who said he would never vote for Mrs. Palin,
>> said she acquitted herself well.
>>
>> ?They really prepared her well,? he said. ?She was articulate and she
>> held her own. I give her credit. They?ve tried to categorize her as
>> not being bright. She?s bright.?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
>> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>>
>> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
> is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
>


From sanderico1 at gmail.com  Thu Sep 24 00:01:20 2009
From: sanderico1 at gmail.com (Eric Sandberg)
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:01:20 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Palin Speaks
In-Reply-To: <400985d70909231925l28366a12pf644aff508b07c23@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909230653x60b2183cmfe33aac1a8659b64@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909230737l34151d1btdba9d8f584b52493@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909231925l28366a12pf644aff508b07c23@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <6634e19e0909232101p1a19d111rf46b24e2df66606e@mail.gmail.com>

And some would have us believe this woman is a backwoods hick. POPPYCOCK I
say, absolute poppycock! ! !

This woman could be Ronald Reagan's little sister ..... Well, maybe
granddaughter.

I think it's really too bad that Sarah Palin didn't have more time to get
ready for her role in the last election. Had she had more time to prepare, I
doubt the outcome would have been the same. THAT is certainly our loss!!

Rik

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 9:25 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> More of Sarah's speech from her Facebook page (below).  She gave the
> speech from notes.
>
> Brad
>
> -------
>
> Thoughts from Hong Kong
>  Today at 6:31pm
> Many have asked to see my remarks as presented in Hong Kong. Here is an
> excerpt:
>
> So far, I?ve given you the view from Main Street, USA. But now I?d
> like to share with you how a Common Sense Conservative sees the world
> at large.
>
> Later this year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of
> the Berlin Wall ? an event that changed not just Europe but the entire
> world. In a matter of months, millions of people in formerly captive
> nations were freed to pursue their individual and national ambitions.
>
> The competition that defined the post World War II era was suddenly
> over. What was once called ?the free world? had so much to celebrate ?
> the peaceful end to a great power rivalry and the liberation of so
> many from tyranny?s grip.
>
> Some, you could say, took the celebration too far. Many spoke of a
> ?peace dividend,? of the need to focus on domestic issues and spend
> less time, attention and money on endeavors overseas. Many saw a
> peaceful future, where globalization would break down borders and lead
> to greater global prosperity. Some argued that state sovereignty would
> fade ? like that was a good thing? ? that new non-governmental actors
> and old international institutions would become dominant in the new
> world order.
>
> As we all know, that did not happen. Unfortunately, there was no
> shortage of warning signs that the end of the Cold War did not mean
> the end of history or the end of conflict. In Europe, the breakup of
> Yugoslavia resulted in brutal wars in the Balkans. In the Middle East,
> a war was waged to reverse Saddam Hussein?s invasion of Kuwait. North
> Korea?s nuclear program nearly led to military conflict. In Africa,
> U.S. embassies were bombed by a group called al Qaeda.
>
> Two weeks ago, America commemorated the 8th anniversary of the
> savagery of September 11, 2001. The vicious terrorist attacks of that
> day made clear that what happened in lands far distant from American
> shores directly affect our security. We came to learn, if we did not
> know before, that there were violent fanatics who sought not just to
> kill innocents, but to end our way of life. Their attacks have not
> been limited to the United States.
>
> They attacked targets in Europe, North Africa and throughout the
> Middle East. Here in Asia, they killed more than 200 in a single
> attack in Bali. They bombed the Marriott Hotel and the Australian
> Embassy in Jakarta. Last year in Mumbai, more than 170 were killed in
> coordinated attacks in the heart of India?s financial capital. In this
> struggle with radical Islamic extremists, no part of the world is safe
> from those who bomb, maim and kill in the service of their twisted
> vision.
>
> This war ? and that is what it is, a war ? is not, as some have said,
> a clash of civilizations. We are not at war with Islam. This is a war
> within Islam, where a small minority of violent killers seeks to
> impose their view on the vast majority of Muslims who want the same
> things all of us want: economic opportunity, education, and the chance
> to build a better life for themselves and their families. The reality
> is that al Qaeda and its affiliates have killed scores of innocent
> Muslim men, women and children.
>
> The reality is that Muslims from Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Afghanistan
> and many other countries are fighting al Qaeda and their allies today.
> But this will be a long war, and it will require far more than just
> military power to prevail. Just as we did in the Cold War, we will
> need to use all the tools at our disposal ? hard and soft power.
> Economic development, public diplomacy, educational exchanges, and
> foreign assistance will be just as important as the instruments of
> military power.
>
> During the election campaign in the U.S. last year, you might have
> noticed we had some differences over Iraq. John McCain and I believed
> in the strength of the surge strategy ? because of its success, Iraq
> is no longer the central front in the war on terrorism. Afghanistan
> is. Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and if we are
> not successful in Afghanistan, al Qaeda will once again find safe
> haven there. As a candidate and in office, President Obama called
> Afghanistan the ?necessary war? and pledged to provide the resources
> needed to prevail. However, prominent voices in the Democratic Party
> are opposing the additional U.S. ground forces that are clearly
> needed.
>
> Speaker of the House Pelosi, Defense Subcommittee Chairman Murtha, the
> Senate Armed Services Committee Chair, and many others, recently
> expressed doubts about sending additional forces! President Obama will
> face a decision soon when the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan requests
> additional forces to implement his new counterinsurgency strategy.
>
> We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable
> representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it
> takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. Last year, in the midst of
> the U.S. debate over what do to in Iraq, an important voice was heard
> ? from Asia?s Wise Man, former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan
> Yew, who wrote in the Washington Post about the cost of retreat in
> Iraq. In that article, he prophetically addressed the stakes in
> Afghanistan. He wrote:
>
> ?The Taliban is again gathering strength, and a Taliban victory in
> Afghanistan or Pakistan would reverberate throughout the Muslim world.
> It would influence the grand debate among Muslims on the future of
> Islam. A severely retrograde form of Islam would be seen to have
> defeated modernity twice: first the Soviet Union, then the United
> States. There would be profound consequences, especially in the
> campaign against terrorism.?
>
> That statesman?s words remain every bit as true today. And Minister
> Lee knows, and I agree, that our success in Afghanistan will have
> consequences all over the world, including Asia. Our allies and our
> adversaries are watching to see if we have the staying power to
> protect our interests in Afghanistan. That is why I recently joined a
> group of Americans in urging President Obama to devote the resources
> necessary in Afghanistan and pledged to support him if he made the
> right decision.
>
> That is why, even during this time of financial distress we need to
> maintain a strong defense. All government spending should undergo
> serious scrutiny. No programs or agencies should be automatically
> immune from cuts.
>
> We need to go back to fiscal discipline and unfortunately that has not
> been the view of the current Administration. They?re spending
> everywhere and with disregard for deficits and debts and our future
> economic competitiveness. Though we are engaged in two wars and face a
> diverse array of threats, it is the defense budget that has seen
> significant program cuts and has actually been reduced from current
> levels!
>
> First, the Defense Department received only ? of 1 % of the nearly
> trillion dollar Stimulus Package funding ? even though many military
> projects fit the definition of ?shovel-ready.? In this
> Administration?s first defense budget request for 2010, important
> programs were reduced or cancelled. As the threat of ballistic
> missiles from countries like North Korea and Iran grow, missile
> defense was slashed.
>
> Despite the need to move men and material by air into theaters like
> Afghanistan, the Obama Administration sought to end production of our
> C-17s, the work horse of our ability to project long range power.
> Despite the Air Force saying it would increase future risk, the Obama
> Administration successfully sought to end F-22 production ? at a time
> when both Russia and China are acquiring large numbers of next
> generation fighter aircraft. It strikes me as odd that Defense
> Secretary Gates is the only member of the Cabinet to be tasked with
> tightening his belt.
>
> Now in the region I want to emphasize today: The reason I speak about
> defense is because our strong defense posture in Asia has helped keep
> the region safe and allowed it to prosper. Our Asian allies get
> nervous if they think we are weakening our security commitments. I
> worry about defense cuts not because I expect war but because I so
> badly want peace. And the region has enjoyed peace for so long because
> of our security commitment to our longstanding allies and partners.
>
> Asia has been one of the world?s great success stories. It is a region
> where America needs to assist with right mix of hard and soft power.
> While I have so much hope for a bright future in Asia, in a region
> this dynamic, we must always be prepared for other contingencies. We
> must work at this ? work with our allies to ensure the region?s
> continued peace and prosperity.
>
> I know that you all -- like all of Asia and indeed the whole world ?
> has a keen interest in the emergence of ?China as a great power.? Over
> the past few decades China?s economic growth has been remarkable. So
> has the economic growth and political liberalization of all of our key
> allies in Asia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Asia?s economic growth
> and political development, together with our forward military presence
> in the region and strong alliances, have allowed the region to prosper
> in peace for a long time. We hope that Asia will continue to be an
> engine of world economic growth, will continue to democratize and will
> remain at peace.
>
> Our future is now deeply linked to Asia?s success. Our children?s
> future. We must continue to strengthen our key alliance with Japan, a
> country going through its own democratic change. Together the U.S. and
> Japan built the security umbrella under which so many Asians
> prospered. While there is so much attention to China these days, we
> cannot forget the importance of Japan in helping to make this the
> ?Pacific Century.?
>
> The recent elections in Japan demonstrated that voters wanted reform
> and an end to debt and stagnation. We have a substantial stake in
> Japan?s success -- our alliance with must continue to be the linchpin
> of regional security.
>
> With its open political system and vibrant democracy, South Korea
> wants to play a larger role on the international stage as well. Of
> course it wants us to work together toward a future where the
> peninsula is irreversibly denuclearized, and unified. But it also
> wants to play a global role. We need to work together with Japan,
> South Korea and our steadfast ally to the south, Australia, to make
> sure Asia remains peaceful and prosperous.
>
> Australia rightly reminds us to keep our eye on Southeast Asia, where
> Indonesia has proved that Islam and democracy can co-exist. Indonesia
> has fought extremism inside its own border and is consolidating a
> multi-ethnic democracy that is home to hundreds of millions of
> Muslims. Those who say Islam and democracy are incompatible insult our
> friends in Indonesia.
>
> Our great democratic friend India is also ?looking East?, seeking a
> greater role in East Asia as well. Together with our allies we must
> help integrate India into Asia. If we do so we will have yet another
> strong democracy driving Asia?s economy and working on shared problems
> such as proliferation and extremism. And we must continue working with
> the region?s most dynamic economy, China. We all hope that China?s
> stated policy of a ?Peaceful Rise? will be its future course.
>
> You know better than most the enormous change that has taken place in
> China over the last thirty years. Hundreds of millions of Chinese have
> been pulled out of poverty as China has undertaken economic reforms
> that have resulted in unprecedented growth. Even today, China?s
> economy is projected to grow by some 8%. It is helping to edge the
> world out of recession.
>
> China has amassed huge financial reserves. Chinese diplomats are
> engaged on every continent and, through its vote on the United Nations
> Security Council, China has become critical in gaining UN support on
> multilateral issues from Darfur to Iran to North Korea.
>
> Just four years ago, then-Deputy Secretary of State Bob Zoellick urged
> China to become a ?responsible stakeholder? in the international
> system. He observed the many benefits to China of a ?benign
> international environment.?
>
> The peaceful regional environment that China has enjoyed was created
> through the hard work of Americans, Japanese, South Koreans and
> Australians. Secretary Zoellick urged China to step up and play its
> role too. We are working with China to de-nuclearize North Korea. But
> to be a responsible member of the international community China should
> exert greater pressure on North Korea to denuclearize and undergo the
> fundamental reforms it needs. Zoellick urged China to play a greater
> role in stabilizing the international energy market by ceasing its
> support of dangerous regimes.
>
> China could play a role in stabilizing its ally Pakistan, and working
> for peace in Afghanistan. There are many areas where the U.S. and
> China can work together. And, we would welcome a China that wanted to
> assume a more responsible and active role in international politics.
>
> But Secretary Zoellick also noted that many of China?s actions create
> risk and uncertainty. These uncertainties led nations to ?hedge? their
> relations with China because, in Zoellick?s words: ?Many countries
> HOPE China will pursue a ?Peaceful Rise? but NONE will bet their
> future on it.?
>
> See: this is the heart of the issue with China: we engage with the
> hope Beijing becomes a responsible stakeholder, but we must takes
> steps in the event it does not. See? We all hope to see a China that
> is stable, peaceful, prosperous and free. But we must also work with
> our allies in the region and the world in the event China goes in a
> direction that causes regional instability.
>
> Asia is at its best when it is not dominated by a single power. In
> seeking Asia?s continued peace and prosperity, we should seek, as we
> did in Europe, an Asia ?whole and free? ? free from domination by any
> one power, prospering in open and free markets, and settling political
> differences at ballot boxes and negotiating tables.
>
> We can, must and should work with a ?rising China? to address issues
> of mutual concern. But we also need to work with our allies in
> addressing the uncertainties created by China?s rise. We simply CANNOT
> turn a blind eye to Chinese policies and actions that can undermine
> international peace and security.
>
> China has some 1000 missiles aimed at Taiwan and no serious observer
> believes Taiwan poses a military threat to Beijing. Those same Chinese
> forces make our friends in Japan and Australia nervous. China provides
> support for some of the world?s most questionable regimes from Sudan
> to Burma to Zimbabwe. China?s military buildup raises concerns from
> Delhi to Tokyo because it has taken place in the absence of any
> discernable external threat.
>
> China, along with Russia, has repeatedly undermined efforts to impose
> tougher sanctions on Iran for its defiance of the international
> community in pursuing its nuclear program. The Chinese food and
> product safety record has raised alarms from East Asia and Europe to
> the United States. And, domestic incidents of unrest -- from the
> protests of Uighurs and Tibetans, to Chinese workers throughout the
> country rightfully make us nervous.
>
> It is very much in our interest and the interest of regional stability
> that China work out its own contradictions ? between a dynamic and
> entrepreneurial private sector on the one hand and a one party state
> unwilling or unable to adjust to its own society?s growing needs and
> desires and demands, including a human being?s innate desire for
> freedom.
>
> I do not cite these issues out of any hostility toward China. Quite
> the contrary, I and all Americans of good faith hope for the Chinese
> people?s success. We welcome the rise that can be so good for all
> mankind. We simply urge China to rise responsibly. I simply believe we
> cannot ignore areas of disagreement as we seek to move forward on
> areas of agreement. Believe me, China does not hesitate to tell us
> when it thinks we are in the wrong.
>
> I mentioned China?s internal contradictions. They should concern us
> all. We hear many Chinese voices throughout that great country calling
> out for more freedom, and for greater justice. Twenty years ago, many
> believed that as China liberalized its economy, greater political
> freedom would naturally follow. Unfortunately that has not come to
> pass.
>
> Ummm, in fact, it seems China has taken great pains to learn what it
> sees as ?the lesson? of the fall on the Berlin Wall and the demise of
> the Soviet Union: any easing of political constraints can inevitably
> spin out of control. But, in many ways, it is the essence of China?s
> political system that leads to concerns about its rise.
>
> Think about it. How many books and articles have been written about
> the dangers of India?s rise? Almost as large as China ? and soon to be
> more populous ? virtually no one worries about the security
> implications of India becoming a great power ? just as a century ago
> the then-preeminent power, Great Britain, worried little about the
> rise of America to great power status. My point is that the more
> politically open and just China is, the more Chinese citizens of every
> ethnicity will settle disputes in courts rather than on the streets.
> The more open it is, the less we will be concerned about its military
> build-up and intentions. The more transparent China is, the more
> likely it is they we will find a true and lasting friendship based on
> shared values as well as interests.
>
> I am not talking about some U.S.-led ?democracy crusade.? We cannot
> impose our values on other counties. Nor should we seek to. But the
> ideas of freedom, liberty and respect for human rights are not U.S.
> ideas, they are much more than that. They are enshrined in the
> Universal Declaration of Human Rights and many other international
> covenants and treaties. They apply to citizens in Shanghai as much as
> they do to citizens in Johannesburg or Jakarta. And demands for
> liberty in China are Chinese, not American, demands. Just last year,
> many brave Chinese signed Charter 08, a Chinese document modeled on
> the great Czech statesman Vlacav Havel?s Charter 77. Charter 08 would
> not be unfamiliar to our Founding Fathers and was endorsed by Havel
> himself. No, we need not convince the Chinese people that they have
> inalienable rights. They are calling for those rights themselves. But
> we do have to worry about a China where the government suppresses the
> liberties its people hold dear.
>
> Nothing of what I am saying should be seen as meaning conflict with
> China is inevitable. Quite the contrary. As I said, we welcome China?s
> responsible rise. America and China stood together against fascism
> during World War II, before ravages took over in China ? we were ready
> to stand together with China to shape international politics after
> World War II. Much has been accomplished since President Nixon?s
> fateful visit. And again, we stand ready to work with what we hope
> will be a more open and responsible China on the challenges facing the
> 21st century.
>
> All of you here know how deeply integrated the economies of the United
> States? and China?s are. We rely on each other, sometimes
> unfortunately in unhealthy ways. America spends too much that we don?t
> have, and then we go to China as a lender of first resort. Our fiscal
> policy, lately, seems to be ?tax, spend, borrow, tax some more,
> repeat? and then complain about how much debt China holds. America
> needs to gets its own fiscal house in order. That?s a Common Sense
> Conservative perspective. We can hardly complain that China holds so
> much of our debt when it?s over spending that created the debt.
>
> But here?s the reality. If in fact the United States does the ?right?
> thing ? if we spend less and save more ? then China will also have to
> rebalance its economy. We need to export more to China ? and we?d like
> China to consume more of our goods ? just as we need to save and
> invest more. This vital process ? so crucial to both countries ? is
> impeded by problems of market access.
>
> We must talk about these issues with more candor. If China adopts
> policies that keep our highest value products out of their markets, by
> manipulating technical standards or licensing requirements, our
> economic relationship suffers.
>
> Our economic interdependence drives our relationship with China. I see
> a future of more trade with China and more American high-tech goods in
> China. But in order for that to happen, we need China to improve its
> rule of law and protect our intellectual property. We need to avoid
> protectionism and China?s flirtation with state-assisted ?national
> champions.? On our part, we should be more open to Chinese investment
> where our national security interests are not threatened. In the end,
> though, our economic relationship will truly thrive when Chinese
> citizens and foreign corporations can hold the Chinese government
> accountable when their actions are unjust.
>
> I see a bright future for America in Asia. One based on the alliances
> that have gotten us this far, one based on free and open markets, one
> that integrates democratic India into East Asia?s political life and
> one in which China decides to be a responsible member of the
> international community and gives its people the liberty ? the freedom
> ? they so desperately want.
>
> Sadly, however, our largest free trade agreement ever in Asia, with
> South Korea, sits frozen in the Congress. In contrast, China is
> behaving wisely in negotiating free trade agreements throughout Asia.
> We want an Asia open to our goods and services. But if we do not get
> our free trade act together, we will be shut out by agreements Asians
> our making among themselves.
>
> All of you here follow global financial markets and economic policy
> closely, I know that it will come as no surprise to you that United
> States leadership on global trade and investment is being sorely
> tested at this moment.
>
> We are struggling with a monumental debate on whether fiscal
> discipline, or massive government spending, will drive a sustained
> recovery. We are struggling to repair the excesses that grew in our
> own economy and served as a trigger to a catastrophic collapse in the
> global financial system. And we are attempting to do so under the
> weight of a global imbalance of debt and trade deficits that are not
> only unbearable for the world?s mightiest economy, but also
> unacceptable in that they foster tensions between global economic
> partners like the United States and China.
>
> I am proud to be an American. As someone who has had the tremendous
> opportunity to travel throughout the United States and listen to the
> concerns of Americans in towns and cities across the country, I can
> tell you that there is a sense of despair and even crisis afoot in
> America that has the potential to shape our global investment and
> trade policies for years, and even decades to come. Never has the
> leadership of our government ever been more critical to keeping my
> country, and the world, on a path to openness, growth and opportunity
> in global trade and investment.
>
> It would of course be a mistake to put the entire burden of restoring
> the global economy on the backs of America?s leaders. There is plenty
> of work for all of us to do in this matter. Governments around the
> world must resist the siren call of trade protection to bring short
> term relief during a time of crisis.
>
> Those who use currency policy or subsidies to promote their nation?s
> exports should remain acutely aware that if there ever were a time in
> which such policies could be viewed as ?tolerable,? that time has now
> passed. All participants who seek to find benefit in the global
> trading system must also take the responsibility of playing by the
> rules.
>
> The private sector has responsibilities as well. For instance, it
> should not be the responsibility of government to dictate the salaries
> of bankers or the ownership of companies. And yet, due of the excesses
> committed by some, this is exactly where we find ourselves now because
> government now owns substantial portions of the private economy ?
> even, unbelievably, in the United States.
>
> These are challenging times for everyone, but we in the United States
> must humbly recognize that if we are to lead and to set the direction
> for the rest of the world, it must be by our example and not merely
> our words. And we must tread lightly when imposing new burdens on the
> imports of other countries.
>
> Well, CLSA: My country is definitely at a crossroad. Polling in the
> U.S. shows a majority of Americans no longer believe that their
> children will have a better future than they have had...that is a 1st.
>
> When members of America?s greatest generation ? the World War II
> generation ? lose their homes and their life savings because their
> retirement funds were wiped after the financial collapse, people feel
> a great anger. There is suddenly a growing sentiment to just ?throw
> the bums out? of Washington, D.C. ? and by bums they mean the
> Republicans and the Democrats. Americans are suffering from pay cuts
> and job losses, and they want to know why their elected leaders are
> not tightening their belts. It?s not lost on people that Congress
> voted to exempt themselves from the health care plan they are
> thrusting on the rest of the nation. There is a growing sense of
> frustration on Main Street. But even in the midst of crisis and
> despair, we see signs of hope.
>
> In fact, it?s a sea change in America, I believe. Recently, there have
> been protests by ordinary Americans who marched on Washington to
> demand their government stop spending away their future. Large numbers
> of ordinary, middle-class Democrats, Republicans, and Independents
> from all over the country marching on Washington?! You know
> something?s up!
>
> These are the same people who flocked to the town halls this summer to
> face their elected officials who were home on hiatus from that distant
> capital and were now confronted with the people they represent. Big
> town hall meetings ? video clips circulating coverage ? people
> watching, feeling not so alone anymore.
>
> The town halls and the Tea Party movement are both part of a growing
> grassroots consciousness among ordinary Americans who?ve decided that
> if they want real change, they must take the lead and not wait to be
> led. Real change ? and, you know, you don?t need a title to do it.
>
> The ?Tea Party Movement? is aptly named to remind people of the
> American Revolution ? of colonial patriots who shook off the yoke of a
> distant government and declared their freedom from indifferent ?
> elitist ? rulers who limited their progress and showed them no
> respect. Today, Main Street Americans see Washington in similar terms.
>
> When my country again achieves financial stability and economic growth
> ? when we roar back to life as we shall do ? it will be thanks in
> large part to the hard work and common sense of these ordinary
> Americans who are demanding that government spend less and tax less
> and allow the private sector to grow and prosper.
>
> We?re not interested in government fixes; we?re interested in freedom!
> Freedom! Our vision is forward looking. People may be frustrated now,
> but we?re very hopeful too.
>
> And, after all, why shouldn?t we be? We?re Americans. We?re always hopeful.
>
> Thank you for letting me share some of that hope, and a view from Main
> Street with you. God Bless You.
>
>
>
> On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Brad,
> >
> > It is EXTREMELY unfortunate that we have to subject ourselves to the
> whims
> > of the current administration to get people to finally see the light.
> Sarah
> > is shining brightly, yet still, few can see.
> >
> > Some just have to learn the hard way. It'd just be nice if they'd learn
> on
> > their own dime, eh??
> >
> > We can only hope to make it to the next election before the dollar
> crashes
> > or the economy gives up altogether.
> >
> > Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we .... expect free lunch!
> >
> > GO SARAH!
> >
> > Rik
> >
> > On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 8:53 AM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Wow, I almost fainted when I read the attached New York Times article.
> >>  They actually had good things to say about Sarah Palin.  Of course it
> >> was from their website and only 47 minutes old so we'll see what makes
> >> it into print.  I like the observation by the author that Palin is a
> >> Libertarian and the Obama supporter's comment that "she's bright".
> >> Duuuuh, we knew that.
> >>
> >> Brad
> >>
> >> -------------------
> >>
> >> September 24, 2009
> >> Palin Speaks to Investors in Hong Kong
> >> By MARK McDONALD
> >>
> >> HONG KONG ? Sarah Palin, in what was billed as her first speech
> >> overseas, spoke on Wednesday to Asian bankers, investors and fund
> >> managers.
> >>
> >> A number of people who heard the speech in a packed hotel ballroom,
> >> which was closed to the media, said Mrs. Palin spoke from notes for 90
> >> minutes and that she was articulate, well-prepared and even
> >> compelling.
> >>
> >> ?The speech was wide-ranging, very balanced, and she beat all
> >> expectations,? said Doug A. Coulter, head of private equity in the
> >> Asia-Pacific region for LGT Capital Partners.
> >>
> >> ?She didn?t sound at all like a far-right-wing conservative. She
> >> seemed to be positioning herself as a libertarian or a small-c
> >> conservative,? he said, adding that she mentioned both Ronald Reagan
> >> and Margaret Thatcher. ?She brought up both those names.?
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin said she was speaking as ?someone from Main Street U.S.A.,?
> >> and she touched on her concerns about oversized federal bailouts and
> >> the unsustainable American government deficit. She did not repeat her
> >> attack from last month that the Obama administration?s health care
> >> proposals would create a ?death panel? that would allow federal
> >> bureaucrats to decide who is ?worthy of health care.?
> >>
> >> Cameron Sinclair, another speaker at the event, said Mrs. Palin
> >> emphasized the need for a grassroots rebirth of the Republican Party
> >> driven by party leaders outside Washington.
> >>
> >> A number of attendees thought Mrs. Palin, the former vice presidential
> >> candidate, was using the speech to begin to broaden her foreign policy
> >> credentials before making a run for the presidency in 2012.
> >>
> >> ?She?s definitely a serious future presidential candidate, and I
> >> understand why she plays so well in middle America,? said Mr. Coulter,
> >> a Canadian.
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin was faulted during the campaign last year for her lack of
> >> foreign policy experience and expertise. As the governor of Alaska,
> >> she said in her own defense, she had a unique insight because ?you can
> >> actually see Russia from land here in Alaska? ? a remark that was
> >> widely lampooned.
> >>
> >> Accompanying Mrs. Palin to Hong Kong was Randy Scheunemann, the former
> >> foreign policy adviser to John McCain, who lost the 2008 election to
> >> President Obama.
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin did not take questions from the media after the speech, and
> >> there was a high degree of security and secrecy around the event. Only
> >> invited guests and a handful of employees from CLSA, the brokerage
> >> house that sponsored the event, were allowed inside the ballroom.
> >>
> >> A CLSA spokeswoman declined to confirm a rumor that Mrs. Palin was
> >> paid $300,000 for her Hong Kong appearance.
> >>
> >> When she resigned as governor in July, Mrs. Palin cited numerous
> >> reasons for stepping down, including more than $500,000 in legal fees
> >> that she and her husband, Todd, incurred because of 15 ethics
> >> complaints filed against her during her two and a half years in
> >> office.
> >>
> >> Mr. Coulter said CLSA has a history of inviting keynote speakers who
> >> are ?newsworthy and potentially controversial.? Other previous
> >> speakers at the conference have included Al Gore, Alan Greenspan, Bono
> >> and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
> >>
> >> Mrs. Palin?s speech took place at the Grand Hyatt on the Victoria
> >> Harbor waterfront and amid the soaring towers of corporate giants like
> >> AIG, HSBC and the Bank of China. Some attendees saw Hong Kong as an
> >> auspicious place for her first major international appearance.
> >>
> >> Melvin Good?, a regional marketing consultant, thought Mrs. Palin
> >> chose Hong Kong because, he said, it was ?a place where things happen
> >> and where freedom can be expanded upon.?
> >>
> >> ?It?s not Beijing or Shanghai,? said Mr. Good? . ?She also mentioned
> >> Tibet, Burma and North Korea in the same breath as places where China
> >> should be more sensitive and careful about how people are treated. She
> >> said it on a human-rights level.?
> >>
> >> Mr. Good?, an African-American who said he did some campaign polling
> >> for President Obama, said Mrs. Palin mentioned President Obama three
> >> times on Wednesday.
> >>
> >> ?And there was nothing derogatory in it, no sleight of hand, and
> >> believe me, I was listening for that,? he said, adding that Mrs. Palin
> >> referred to Mr. Obama as ?our president,? with the emphasis on ?our.?
> >>
> >> Mr. Good?, a New Yorker who said he would never vote for Mrs. Palin,
> >> said she acquitted herself well.
> >>
> >> ?They really prepared her well,? he said. ?She was articulate and she
> >> held her own. I give her credit. They?ve tried to categorize her as
> >> not being bright. She?s bright.?
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> >> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
> >>
> >>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire,
> it
> > is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> SwiftwaterGazette mailing list
> SwiftwaterGazette at mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com
>
> http://mailman.theswiftwatergazette.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/swiftwatergazette
>



-- 
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it
is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." ?. George Washington
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 24 06:07:01 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:07:01 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] The Most Corrupt Members Of Congress
Message-ID: <40B3A2564D344B8AA266AC057CD6DFF0@YOURB88038198E>

See:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-corrupt-members-of-congress-2009-9#rep-vern-buchanan-r-fl-1

To find members you have to scroll down to bottom of light blue and select individual members.

EK
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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 24 06:38:20 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:38:20 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Rik said, " ...
Message-ID: <ED06EC6BBD674DD187F088FC4AFCBF79@YOURB88038198E>

Rik said, "I doubt the outcome would have been the same. THAT is certainly our loss!!"

The top of the ticket was a problem and has not shown similar caliber of leadership.  

Now if your man, Herman Cain, was on top of the ticket then, he is a persuasive speaker, and black too boot.  But he did not run and the opportunity has passed.

Ed K

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From ekroposki at charter.net  Thu Sep 24 07:10:59 2009
From: ekroposki at charter.net (Ed Kroposki)
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:10:59 -0400
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] A Wisconsin Man
Message-ID: <62D6265498E54BCEADE3CAF9ADF2B461@YOURB88038198E>

An  older University of Wisconsin man is walking down the street one afternoon, when he sees a woman with perfect breasts.  

He says to her, "Hey miss, would you let me bite your breasts for $100?"

"Are you nuts?!" she replies, and keeps walking away. 

He turns around, runs around the block and gets to the corner before she does. "Would you let me bite your breasts for $1,000 dollars?" he asks again. 

"Listen you; I'm not that kind of woman! Got it?" 

So the little older Wisconsin man runs around the next block and faces her again, "Would you let me bite your breasts - just once - for $10,000 dollars?!"

She thinks about it for a while and says, "Hmmmmm, $10,000 dollars...; Ok, just once, but not here. Let's go to that dark alley over there."

So they go into the alley, where she takes off her blouse to reveal the most perfect breasts in the world.  As soon as he sees them, he grabs them and starts caressing them, fondling them slowly, kissing them, licking them, burying his face in them - but not biting them. 

The woman finally gets annoyed and asks, 'Well? Are you gonna bite them or not?' 

"Nah," says the little old Wisconsin man ... "Costs too much!"
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From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 24 08:55:24 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:55:24 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Bill Ayers
Message-ID: <400985d70909240555x20badc55u1faccb9bf5e216d6@mail.gmail.com>

You may remember during the campaign that someone ran "Dreams of My
Father" and "Fugitive Days" through some plagiarism software and it
determined with a high degree of confidence that both books were
written by the same author.  Well, here's more -

http://tinyurl.com/lqjhgs

You can hit the links and read the earlier articles on the subject. He
may or may not have met Ayers while both were attending school in NYC
and living blocks apart - we don't know for certain.  There is strong
evidence that it was Bill Ayers Senior that encouraged Obama to come
to Chicago and introduced Obama to the circle of political insiders in
Chicago.  This much is fact and has been proven - Ayers, Jr. and Obama
shared office space, Ayers hand-picked Obama to be the administrator
for the Annenberg Challenge, and Obama started his run for the IL
Senate in Ayer's living room. When asked during the campaign about his
relationship to Ayers, Obama said "he's just some English professor in
the neighborhood". He knew damn good and well Ayers was an Education
professor.  Why lie about so minor a detail?

We have never had a POTUS in our nation's history we know so little
about and with so many gaps in his history.  Forget the birth
certificate, how did he travel to Pakistan when Americans were
prohibited from traveling there? Who paid his way through college?
Where are the transcripts? How did an unpublished author get a book
contract (almost unheard of in the industry) for a memoir when he
hadn't done anything?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Brad

From flybrad at gmail.com  Thu Sep 24 09:28:17 2009
From: flybrad at gmail.com (Brad Haslett)
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:28:17 -0500
Subject: [Swiftwater Gazette] Palin Speaks
In-Reply-To: <6634e19e0909232101p1a19d111rf46b24e2df66606e@mail.gmail.com>
References: <400985d70909230653x60b2183cmfe33aac1a8659b64@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909230737l34151d1btdba9d8f584b52493@mail.gmail.com>
	<400985d70909231925l28366a12pf644aff508b07c23@mail.gmail.com>
	<6634e19e0909232101p1a19d111rf46b24e2df66606e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <400985d70909240628x2e145bd7qd95d7813e4a04d54@mail.gmail.com>

Rik,

One of the things I admire about Palin is that the message you get on
Friday is the same message you got on Monday. Here she is on Chinese
soil, and after praising the Chinese economic miracle and discussing
our common bonds, proceeds to rip the Chinese Communist Party a new
anal port for their reluctance to open up more freedoms for common
Chinese citizens.  Yeah, there were hints of "Tear down this wall!" in
the speech.

As for her observations on the US economy and our debt, well, she's
just using common sense - something that's hard to find these days.
Here's a chart that isn't pretty -

http://johnbtaylorsblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/alarming-debt-charts.html

Click on the link and look at the other charts.  Of course the charts
are based on exponential increases, something that won't happen.
That's the point - when something is unsustainable, it's
unsustainable. Now we're talking about adding new and massive sized
programs on top of that mess. We can't pay for the programs we already
have.

Palin said at her acceptance speech in Minneapolis that we "need to
live within our means" and she hasn't wavered from that position in
the slightest. Now she's taking on the Fed. For a small town
housewife, she sure likes to take on mighty big game as targets.

This will be fun to watch!

Brad


On 9/23/09, Eric Sandberg <sanderico1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> And some would have us believe this woman is a backwoods hick. POPPYCOCK I
> say, absolute poppycock! ! !
>
> This woman could be Ronald Reagan's little sister ..... Well, maybe
> granddaughter.
>
> I think it's really too bad that Sarah Palin didn't have more time to get
> ready for her role in the last election. Had she had more time to prepare, I
> doubt the outcome would have been the same. THAT is certainly our loss!!
>
> Rik
>
> On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 9:25 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> More of Sarah's speech from her Facebook page (below).  She gave the
>> speech from notes.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> -------
>>
>> Thoughts from Hong Kong
>>  Today at 6:31pm
>> Many have asked to see my remarks as presented in Hong Kong. Here is an
>> excerpt:
>>
>> So far, I?ve given you the view from Main Street, USA. But now I?d
>> like to share with you how a Common Sense Conservative sees the world
>> at large.
>>
>> Later this year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of
>> the Berlin Wall ? an event that changed not just Europe but the entire
>> world. In a matter of months, millions of people in formerly captive
>> nations were freed to pursue their individual and national ambitions.
>>
>> The competition that defined the post World War II era was suddenly
>> over. What was once called ?the free world? had so much to celebrate ?
>> the peaceful end to a great power rivalry and the liberation of so
>> many from tyranny?s grip.
>>
>> Some, you could say, took the celebration too far. Many spoke of a
>> ?peace dividend,? of the need to focus on domestic issues and spend
>> less time, attention and money on endeavors overseas. Many saw a
>> peaceful future, where globalization would break down borders and lead
>> to greater global prosperity. Some argued that state sovereignty would
>> fade ? like that was a good thing? ? that new non-governmental actors
>> and old international institutions would become dominant in the new
>> world order.
>>
>> As we all know, that did not happen. Unfortunately, there was no
>> shortage of warning signs that the end of the Cold War did not mean
>> the end of history or the end of conflict. In Europe, the breakup of
>> Yugoslavia resulted in brutal wars in the Balkans. In the Middle East,
>> a war was waged to reverse Saddam Hussein?s invasion of Kuwait. North
>> Korea?s nuclear program nearly led to military conflict. In Africa,
>> U.S. embassies were bombed by a group called al Qaeda.
>>
>> Two weeks ago, America commemorated the 8th anniversary of the
>> savagery of September 11, 2001. The vicious terrorist attacks of that
>> day made clear that what happened in lands far distant from American
>> shores directly affect our security. We came to learn, if we did not
>> know before, that there were violent fanatics who sought not just to
>> kill innocents, but to end our way of life. Their attacks have not
>> been limited to the United States.
>>
>> They attacked targets in Europe, North Africa and throughout the
>> Middle East. Here in Asia, they killed more than 200 in a single
>> attack in Bali. They bombed the Marriott Hotel and the Australian
>> Embassy in Jakarta. Last year in Mumbai, more than 170 were killed in
>> coordinated attacks in the heart of India?s financial capital. In this
>> struggle with radical Islamic extremists, no part of the world is safe
>> from those who bomb, maim and kill in the service of their twisted
>> vision.
>>
>> This war ? and that is what it is, a war ? is not, as some have said,
>> a clash of civilizations. We are not at war with Islam. This is a war
>> within Islam, where a small minority of violent killers seeks to
>> impose their view on the vast majority of Muslims who want the same
>> things all of us want: economic opportunity, education, and the chance
>> to build a better life for themselves and their families. The reality
>> is that al Qaeda and its affiliates have killed scores of innocent
>> Muslim men, women and children.
>>
>> The reality is that Muslims from Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Afghanistan
>> and many other countries are fighting al Qaeda and their allies today.
>> But this will be a long war, and it will require far more than just
>> military power to prevail. Just as we did in the Cold War, we will
>> need to use all the tools at our disposal ? hard and soft power.
>> Economic development, public diplomacy, educational exchanges, and
>> foreign assistance will be just as important as the instruments of
>> military power.
>>
>> During the election campaign in the U.S. last year, you might have
>> noticed we had some differences over Iraq. John McCain and I believed
>> in the strength of the surge strategy ? because of its success, Iraq
>> is no longer the central front in the war on terrorism. Afghanistan
>> is. Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned and if we are
>> not successful in Afghanistan, al Qaeda will once again find safe
>> haven there. As a candidate and in office, President Obama called
>> Afghanistan the ?necessary war? and pledged to provide the resources
>> needed to prevail. However, prominent voices in the Democratic Party
>> are opposing the additional U.S. ground forces that are clearly
>> needed.
>>
>> Speaker of the House Pelosi, Defense Subcommittee Chairman Murtha, the
>> Senate Armed Services Committee Chair, and many others, recently
>> expressed doubts about sending additional forces! President Obama will
>> face a decision soon when the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan requests
>> additional forces to implement his new counterinsurgency strategy.
>>
>> We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable
>> representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it
>> takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. Last year, in the midst of
>> the U.S. debate over what do to in Iraq, an important voice was heard
>> ? from Asia?s Wise Man, former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan
>> Yew, who wrote in the Washington Post about the cost of retreat in
>> Iraq. In that article, he prophetically addressed the stakes in
>> Afghanistan. He wrote:
>>
>> ?The Taliban is again gathering strength, and a Taliban victory in
>> Afghanistan or Pakistan would reverberate throughout the Muslim world.
>> It would influence the grand debate among Muslims on the future of
>> Islam. A severely retrograde form of Islam would be seen to have
>> defeated modernity twice: first the Soviet Union, then the United
>> States. There would be profound consequences, especially in the
>> campaign against terrorism.?
>>
>> That statesman?s words remain every bit as true today. And Minister
>> Lee knows, and I agree, that our success in Afghanistan will have
>> consequences all over the world, including Asia. Our allies and our
>> adversaries are watching to see if we have the staying power to
>> protect our interests in Afghanistan. That is why I recently joined a
>> group of Americans in urging President Obama to devote the resources
>> necessary in Afghanistan and pledged to support him if he made the
>> right decision.
>>
>> That is why, even during this time of financial distress we need to
>> maintain a strong defense. All government spending should undergo
>> serious scrutiny. No programs or agencies should be automatically
>> immune from cuts.
>>
>> We need to go back to fiscal discipline and unfortunately that has not
>> been the view of the current Administration. They?re spending
>> everywhere and with disregard for deficits and debts and our future
>> economic competitiveness. Though we are engaged in two wars and face a
>> diverse array of threats, it is the defense budget that has seen
>> significant program cuts and has actually been reduced from current
>> levels!
>>
>> First, the Defense Department received only ? of 1 % of the nearly
>> trillion dollar Stimulus Package funding ? even though many military
>> projects fit the definition of ?shovel-ready.? In this
>> Administration?s first defense budget request for 2010, important
>> programs were reduced or cancelled. As the threat of ballistic
>> missiles from countries like North Korea and Iran grow, missile
>> defense was slashed.
>>
>> Despite the need to move men and material by air into theaters like
>> Afghanistan, the Obama Administration sought to end production of our
>> C-17s, the work horse of our ability to project long range power.
>> Despite the Air Force saying it would increase future risk, the Obama
>> Administration successfully sought to end F-22 production ? at a time
>> when both Russia and China are acquiring large numbers of next
>> generation fighter aircraft. It strikes me as odd that Defense
>> Secretary Gates is the only member of the Cabinet to be tasked with
>> tightening his belt.
>>
>> Now in the region I want to emphasize today: The reason I speak about
>> defense is because our strong defense posture in Asia has helped keep
>> the region safe and allowed it to prosper. Our Asian allies get
>> nervous if they think we are weakening our security commitments. I
>> worry about defense cuts not because I expect war but because I so
>> badly want peace. And the region has enjoyed peace for so long because
>> of our security commitment to our longstanding allies and partners.
>>
>> Asia has been one of the world?s great success stories. It is a region
>> where America needs to assist with right mix of hard and soft power.
>> While I have so much hope for a bright future in Asia, in a region
>> this dynamic, we must always be prepared for other contingencies. We
>> must work at this ? work with our allies to ensure the region?s
>> continued peace and prosperity.
>>
>> I know that you all -- like all of Asia and indeed the whole world ?
>> has a keen interest in the emergence of ?China as a great power.? Over
>> the past few decades China?s economic growth has been remarkable. So
>> has the economic growth and political liberalization of all of our key
>> allies in Asia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Asia?s economic growth
>> and political development, together with our forward military presence
>> in the region and strong alliances, have allowed the region to prosper
>> in peace for a long time. We hope that Asia will continue to be an
>> engine of world economic growth, will continue to democratize and will
>> remain at peace.
>>
>> Our future is now deeply linked to Asia?s success. Our children?s
>> future. We must continue to strengthen our key alliance with Japan, a
>> country going through its own democratic change. Together the U.S. and
>> Japan built the security umbrella under which so many Asians
>> prospered. While there is so much attention to China these days, we
>> cannot forget the importance of Japan in helping to make this the
>> ?Pacific Century.?
>>
>> The recent elections in Japan demonstrated that voters wanted reform
>> and an end to debt and stagnation. We have a substantial stake in
>> Japan?s success -- our alliance with must continue to be the linchpin
>> of regional security.
>>
>> With its open political system and vibrant democracy, South Korea
>> wants to play a larger role on the international stage as well. Of
>> course it wants us to work together toward a future where the
>> peninsula is irreversibly denuclearized, and unified. But it also
>> wants to play a global role. We need to work together with Japan,
>> South Korea and our steadfast ally to the south, Australia, to make
>> sure Asia remains peaceful and prosperous.
>>
>> Australia rightly reminds us to keep our eye on Southeast Asia, where
>> Indonesia has proved that Islam and democracy can co-exist. Indonesia
>> has fought extremism inside its own border and is consolidating a
>> multi-ethnic democracy that is home to hundreds of millions of
>> Muslims. Those who say Islam and democracy are incompatible insult our
>> friends in Indonesia.
>>
>> Our great democratic friend India is also ?looking East?, seeking a
>> greater role in East Asia as well. Together with our allies we must
>> help integrate India into Asia. If we do so we will have yet another
>> strong democracy driving Asia?s economy and working on shared problems
>> such as proliferation and extremism. And we must continue working with
>> the region?s most dynamic economy, China. We all hope that China?s
>> stated policy of a ?Peaceful Rise? will be its future course.
>>
>> You know better than most the enormous change that has taken place in
>> China over the last thirty years. Hundreds of millions of Chinese have
>> been pulled out of poverty as China has undertaken economic reforms
>> that have resulted in unprecedented growth. Even today, China?s
>> economy is projected to grow by some 8%. It is helping to edge the
>> world out of recession.
>>
>> China has amassed huge financial reserves. Chinese diplomats are
>> engaged on every continent and, through its vote on the United Nations
>> Security Council, China has become critical in gaining UN support on
>> multilateral issues from Darfur to Iran to North Korea.
>>
>> Just four years ago, then-Deputy Secretary of State Bob Zoellick urged
>> China to become a ?responsible stakeholder? in the international
>> system. He observed the many benefits to China of a ?benign
>> international environment.?
>>
>> The peaceful regional environment that China has enjoyed was created
>> through the hard work of Americans, Japanese, South Koreans and
>> Australians. Secretary Zoellick urged China to step up and play its
>> role too. We are working with China to de-nuclearize North Korea. But
>> to be a responsible member of the international community China should
>> exert greater pressure on North Korea to denuclearize and undergo the
>> fundamental reforms it needs. Zoellick urged China to play a greater
>> role in stabilizing the international energy market by ceasing its
>> support of dangerous regimes.
>>
>> China could play a role in stabilizing its ally Pakistan, and working
>> for peace in Afghanistan. There are many areas where the U.S. and
>> China can work together. And, we would welcome a China that wanted to
>> assume a more responsible and active role in international politics.
>>
>> But Secretary Zoellick also noted that many of China?s actions create
>> risk and uncertainty. These uncertainties led nations to ?hedge? their
>> relations with China because, in Zoellick?s words: ?Many countries
>> HOPE China will pursue a ?Peaceful Rise? but NONE will bet their
>> future on it.?
>>
>> See: this is the heart of the issue with China: we engage with the
>> hope Beijing becomes a responsible stakeholder, but we must takes
>> steps in the event it does not. See? We all hope to see a China that
>> is stable, peaceful, prosperous and free. But we must also work with
>> our allies in the region and the world in the event China goes in a
>> direction that causes regional instability.
>>
>> Asia is at its best when it is not dominated by a single power. In
>> seeking Asia?s continued peace and prosperity, we should seek, as we
>> did in Europe, an Asia ?whole and free? ? free from domination by any
>> one power, prospering in open and free markets, and settling political
>> differences at ballot boxes and negotiating tables.
>>
>> We can, must and should work with a ?rising China? to address issues
>> of mutual concern. But we also need to work with our allies in
>> addressing the uncertainties created by China?s rise. We simply CANNOT
>> turn a blind eye to Chinese policies and actions that can undermine
>> international peace and security.
>>
>> China has some 1000 missiles aimed at Taiwan and no serious observer
>> believes Taiwan poses a military threat to Beijing. Those same Chinese
>> forces make our friends in Japan and Australia nervous. China provides
>> support for some of the world?s most questionable regimes from Sudan
>> to Burma to Zimbabwe. China?s military buildup raises concerns from
>> Delhi to Tokyo because it has taken place in the absence of any
>> discernable external threat.
>>
>> China, along with Russia, has repeatedly undermined efforts to impose
>> tougher sanctions on Iran for its defiance of the international
>> community in pursuing its nuclear program. The Chinese food and
>> product safety record has raised alarms from East Asia and Europe to
>> the United States. And, domestic incidents of unrest -- from the
>> protests of Uighurs and Tibetans, to Chinese workers throughout the
>> country rightfully make us nervous.
>>
>> It is very much in our interest and the interest of regional stability
>> that China work out its own contradictions ? between a dynamic and
>> entrepreneurial private sector on the one hand and a one party state
>> unwilling or unable to adjust to its own society?s growing needs and
>> desires and demands, including a human being?s innate desire for
>> freedom.
>>
>> I do not cite these issues out of any hostility toward China. Quite
>> the contrary, I and all Americans of good faith hope for the Chinese
>> people?s success. We welcome the rise that can be so good for all
>> mankind. We simply urge China to rise responsibly. I simply believe we
>> cannot ignore areas of disagreement as we seek to move forward on
>> areas of agreement. Believe me, China does not hesitate to tell us
>> when it thinks we are in the wrong.
>>
>> I mentioned China?s internal contradictions. They should concern us
>> all. We hear many Chinese voices throughout that great country calling
>> out for more freedom, and for greater justice. Twenty years ago, many
>> believed that as China liberalized its economy, greater political
>> freedom would naturally follow. Unfortunately that has not come to
>> pass.
>>
>> Ummm, in fact, it seems China has taken great pains to learn what it
>> sees as ?the lesson? of the fall on the Berlin Wall and the demise of
>> the Soviet Union: any easing of political constraints can inevitably
>> spin out of control. But, in many ways, it is the essence of China?s
>> political system that leads to concerns about its rise.
>>
>> Think about it. How many books and articles have been written about
>> the dangers of India?s rise? Almost as large as China ? and soon to be
>> more populous ? virtually no one worries about the security
>> implications of India becoming a great power ? just as a century ago
>> the then-preeminent power, Great Britain, worried little about the
>> rise of America to great power status. My point is that the more
>> politically open and just China is, the more Chinese citizens of every
>> ethnicity will settle disputes in courts rather than on the streets.
>> The more open it is, the less we will be concerned about its military
>> build-up and intentions. The more transparent China is, the more
>> likely it is they we will find a true and lasting friendship based on
>> shared values as well as interests.
>>
>> I am not talking about some U.S.-led ?democracy crusade.? We cannot
>> impose our values on other counties. Nor should we seek to. But the
>> ideas of freedom, liberty and respect for human rights are not U.S.
>> ideas, they are much more than that. They are enshrined in the
>> Universal Declaration of Human Rights and many other international
>> covenants and treaties. They apply to citizens in Shanghai as much as
>> they do to citizens in Johannesburg or Jakarta. And demands for
>> liberty in China are Chinese, not American, demands. Just last year,
>> many brave Chinese signed Charter 08, a Chinese document modeled on
>> the great Czech statesman Vlacav Havel?s Charter 77. Charter 08 would
>> not be unfamiliar to our Founding Fathers and was endorsed by Havel
>> himself. No, we need not convince the Chinese people that they have
>> inalienable rights. They are calling for those rights themselves. But
>> we do have to worry about a China where the government suppresses the
>> liberties its people hold dear.
>>
>> Nothing of what I am saying should be seen as meaning conflict with
>> China is inevitable. Quite the contrary. As I said, we welcome China?s
>> responsible rise. America and China stood together against fascism
>> during World War II, before ravages took over in China ? we were ready
>> to stand together with China to shape international politics after
>> World War II. Much has been accomplished since President Nixon?s
>> fateful visit. And